Five whole posts this month! I need to go to bed so I'm going to cheat and link to my Mastodon thread.
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Y'all. Y'all.
What if Merricat discovered that she really was a werewolf?!??!!!
Down in the Boneyard (1055 words) by enemyofrome
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: We Have Always Lived in the Castle - Shirley Jackson
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Constance Blackwood & Merricat Blackwood
Characters: Merricat Blackwood, Constance Blackwood (We Have Always Lived In The Castle)
Additional Tags: Werewolf Merricat, Character Death, Child Death
Summary:
My name is Mary Katherine Blackwood. I am almost nineteen years old, and I live with my sister Constance. On the night of the fire I learnt that I was a werewolf. On some level I had always known, because the two middle fingers on both my hands are the same length; and as any wise woman could tell you, that is the surest sign of one touched by the moon. I like my sister Constance, and Richard Plantagenet, and Amanita phalloides, the death-cap mushroom. Everyone else in my family is dead.
After the fire, a blight comes upon the village.
It's so good, please go read it immediately.
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I had a lovely time! Hung out with people (who I already knew, since I wasn't mingling in public because masking), and my panels all seemed to go well.
I have one thing to report from the "Connecting with Your Kids Through Media" panel:
One audience member asked a very heartfelt, heartwrenching question about how much time is enough to spend with a seven-year-old child. Another audience member offered a tip from a parenting class taken during the pandemic, called "ten time," which is that your child can come to you once a day and ask for "ten time," which is an immediate ten minutes when you focus exclusively on the child. I thought this was a great idea, since it's extremely rare that whatever can't be put off for ten minutes, and it gives structure for and agency to the child.
I have a number of things to report from the "Laws, Lawyers, and Trials" panel, mostly because that was just this morning:
Recommendations for enjoyable or accurate portrayals of legal stuff:
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
raven, description: "Administrative public law concerns the proper relations between government and governed; or, to put it another way, Zale and Bishop Beartongue have had it with this shit.")Hot tip from a criminal defense attorney: in a post-apocalyptic situation, the vault of a criminal court clerk's office is going to be a literal treasure trove and easier to get into than the equivalent a police station. Weapons, drugs, etc. etc., all entered as exhibits!
Both with regard to "what are your pet peeves in fictional works" (from the moderator) and "How do the laws and legal system of an imaginary society help to characterize that society and to move a plot forward? In what ways does speculative fiction encourage us to explore alternatives to existing systems?" (from the panel description), I ranted a bit about foundational assumptions.
Anyway, this was a lively panel with a good mix of experience in the panelists, and I hope my hijacking it to talk about the last set of bullet points wasn't too disruptive.
I did have a rock hit my windshield on the way out to Boston, sending out large cracks across 2/3 the length and width, which was very startling and caused a delay while I called my insurance company and found a car wash that had vacuum cleaners (the little bits of safety glass forced out on impact went, quite literally, everywhere in my car), but I was still able to get there and back with no problem. I just hope it doesn't snow so much tomorrow that the replacement service reschedules their appointment to come to my driveway (as we don't have a garage).
(And just to be safe: speaking solely for myself here, as always.)
Edit: d'oh, I forgot the other thing I went to! genarti read from a very charming, as yet unpublished, short story. I look forward to it finding a home!
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Actually it's late but my notes for this are surprisingly clean? And this is the last set, and I have indigestion, so let's go for it.
If this topic interests you, you should also see my notes on the panel Memories and Erasure in Fictional Societies.
Description:
The cult classics of the 80s and 90s survive on VHS and DVD, but how do we ensure that today's stealth favorites stick around long enough to acquire their audience? We'll have a frank discussion around physical media, digital media, the current issues with streaming, and recommendations for preserving content.
Calais Reed, David Friedman, Rebecca Fraimow (moderator), Shirley Dulcey
Rebecca she/they: moving image archivist, work in public TV Shirley she/her: long-term fan, dismayed by fact that some works now unavailable, including some released just a couple years ago Calais she/her, badge name, in professional circles goes by (name I missed); just finished Masters in Library and Information Science with a focus in Archives Management from Simmons University. in course on digital preservation, worked on MIT's Reality Hack, which is making virtual and augmented reality games over several days, involves a lot of cutting-edge hardware and software that often vanishes by next time David he/him: attorney focusing on contracts, IP, and privacy laws. artist. Rebecca: what stressed out the most about current state of media preservation? Shirley: stuff is disappearing. one big class, stuff created for the web. Wayback can't get everything. Flash. websites that disappear tend to take stuff with them. mp3.com killed by record industry because courts were incompetent David: there were a few other issues, but don't let me stop you Shirley: could scan your discs and then you could play their copies anyway. was distributed de-duplicated (something) but term wouldn't be created for 10 years, should have won that case Calais: is a problem in law-making of people who don't understand how the technology works David: what, the Internet is a series of tubes? Shirley: a lot of music that was given to site for free distribution, vanished. now streaming services vanish content. Calais: that also very much. another thing to worry about: partial misconception that anything put online will be there forever. is hard to remove things but things do vanish. also decay: files corrupted, hardware no longer available. one of Carmen Sandiego games required specific version of dictionary. Duck Hunt, came with special gun that only worked with that kind of TV, unplayable without. if scan all photographs, throw away, and don't replace hard drive as needed ... David: quick answer: as discussed in previous panel, large language modeling or "artificial intelligence" using data regardless of consent of owners, still working on consequences. bothers deeply both as artist and attorney and individual who understands that going to be subject to things like recorded Zoom calls that will be used for AI. what if video edited and then claimed to be oral contract? while do believe preservation important, sometimes what is being preserved is important too Rebecca: something starting to see a lot, idea that for preservation purposes, piracy is justified, in light of streaming removal; on other hand, objections to LLM. so let's talk about ethics of piracy with regard to preservation David: obnoxious boilerplate: not representing anyone, not legal advice. from sterile lawyer side, lot of discussion about what are purchasing/licensing when seeking media. example of purchasing paper book, know ability to enjoy will continue, right to make backup copy, if someone else puts out updated copy or tampers, can't touch what I have. licensing something online, can and frequently do discontinue without asking at all. horrible idea of actually reading contracts, though sometimes people will do "yeah, that's not what we said we would do, but what are you going to do about it?" Shirley: DMCA means do not always have right to make backup copy, illegal to circumvent copy protections. David: ability to make backup copies is yearly revisited/reauthorized by Library of Congress (me: I went to find a link, as I do, and while this is not my field, (a) it's three years and (b) I don't see, in the list of exemptions, one for individuals backing up their DVDs/Blu-rays?) Rebecca: presumes library has ability to make backup copies. Library of Congress gets DCP (digital cinema package), what is delivered to movie theaters these days, hard drives ... that are automatically code-locked after certain period of time. just what the studio was producing, not malicious Calais: from archival perspective, definitely not saying what you should do, but brushes up against complicated issue of where do you get that stuff. some things, really glad we have, but way we got may be on scale from sketchy to straight up illegal and gross. we discuss and then say, up to archivist's judgment, which is how a lot of these moral quandaries go in library school. don't know that have a direct yes/no answer to "is piracy good?" but does matter for what purpose: preservation copy not public access unless/until removed or in public domain, legally more acceptable than just want to watch offline or on different device Rebecca: to push on this a bit, Internet Archive bears a lot of burden of preservation, their policy is that don't have time to ask permission, just going to go take it all. difference between doing this for something intended to be work of art for public consumption, versus personal blog or video. is there responsibility to save everything, should we? Calais: certainly can't save everything. need somewhere to put the servers and take care of them, large investment. with traditional media, is a concept in current museums/archives, if have things with difficult to check provenance, or missing documents, sometimes put things up on website saying, if this is yours let us know and we'll take it down. Shirley: can tell Internet Archive to remove something, and flag things not to be scanned. but they store it anyway, just make it inaccessible. Rebecca: lot easier to make selectively inaccessible than delete Shirley: and they want to keep for historical record in case it's asked to be made available again (me: not surprised to hear this in retrospect given the massive overreach by the Internet Archive with ebook "lending" during lockdown, which seems frustratingly possible to wreck entire endeavor) Calais: Star Wars: The Old Republic, MMORPG (different from Knights of the Old Republic), had spy storyline, station set up to preserve everything on holonet and won't be released for 100 years and then everything out. very cool idea, completely impractical in real life. idea of delayed release of archival is a real thing. (me: I sometimes wonder if any archive would take my journals, paper and digital, and not do anything with for 100+ years, because I don't want to reread paper especially, and don't want relatives to, but hate to throw away; maybe they would be useful for understanding timeframe in future?) David: much meditation right now re: MLK surveillance tapes slated for release, historical importance versus horrific breach of privacy Rebecca: idea of holding on to stuff until acceptable time; how long? legal standards around copyright, not necessarily around privacy David: we do. state-by-state. but also what gets challenging is that USA is not an island. EU right to be forgotten versus a scrappy archivist, who prevails and how does it get solved, depending on where various people are located. question of, without international convention, how do you get, implement, enforce standard Calais: also then cultural privacy issues, not just personal, especially re: indigenous information that is culturally restricted to specific groups, subgroups, different times. library value of universal access brushes against respecting where things come from Rebecca: really big and important questions. bring back to media & preservation currently. media basically all digital now. if someone gave me a copy of their zine 20 years ago, no one would ask to destroy if author said wanted it back. YouTube video, mashup of two movies, is fundamentally different if someone wants that taken down? Shirley: of course in YouTube case committed piracy, not as though someone posted mp4 file on website. Rebecca: yes but that's how we distribute things these days Calais: think still struggling with globally, share things much wider than before, before no reason to think zine would be accessible across the planet, whereas digital publication could be seen by literally anyone. I don't have an answer either. if you have a collection of personal papers that were given to you, can you put that online (what if they lived long enough ago that they would have no expectation that would be done) Rebecca: paradox, much greater access and much greater possibility of total disappearance Calais: suppose topic is now punishable in author's country, much more worry if digital than zine and someone reposts David: biggest issue is metadata embedded in, gives many more ways to find author. challenge to example: zine usually author's own content versus mashup, so twist a little, somebody's podcast: internet still moves cost of copies and distribution closer to zero, makes redistribution more likely; also, if change a little bit or put out a reaction/response, gets very wrinkled quickly, but ultimately don't see meaningful difference between two except cost Shirley: if zine creators do want distributable, CC licenses Rebecca: questions? me: please give me juicy technical details about how to archive stuff once you have it Rebecca: lots of copies keep stuff safe = standard adage. not all copies in same basket, either technically or locationally. (not same type of hard drive that bought at same time.) for just preservation: your hard drive, online, your friend somewhere else. however many other considerations. lifespan of spinny hard disk, 3-5 years; solid state drive more dependent on how many times you use it. Shirley: SSD in vault, about 10 years. best currently available to home users, M disks, special writeable CD/DVD/Blu-ray that instead of dyes use different medium, supposed to be 100 years or more, if have drive that can read Calais: and store them properly Rebecca: use LTO tape at work Shirley: 10 year lifespan Calais: want actually really nitty details, see NDSA levels question: problem is stuff to play things back, have aircheck (?) cassettes of own radio appearances, but can't find working cassette players. one manufacturer in China who is crap. parts literally failing. Calais: some public libraries have digitization suites may be able to use to listen/copy. because of nature of digital media, care about content, not much difference in text file between Open Office and versions of Word, so can try to transfer to newer media to keep content. can also talk to local archives, archival associations, Society of American Archivists website should have local groups, New England archivists Rebecca: paradox at work, we are constantly frantically trying to digitize magnetic media, then put onto more media know will degrade and die, constant management. compared to filmstock, which does degrade but can be on shelf for 100 years which nothing digital now will Calais: best way preserve non-AV, just print and store somewhere cool audience: sitting in closet at Brandeis probably one of best archives of 1980s music, recordings of radio station. but who owns recording rights; don't have money to digitize. plus what's written on cassettes themselves: who played, when, who recorded it. I kept blogs of children when very young, wife printed out into books. John & Abigail Adams wrote letters, my wife and I IM'ed (me: I occasionally think about pulling my & Chad's old blogging about the kids into print books, because the kids aren't going to go back through our sites when they want to know more detail about their childhoods, even if those sites stay up. we already make photo books of big vacations as more easily browseable than Google Photos albums, and Chad's parents do a yearly book of "Fun Times with SteelyKid and the Pip.") Calais: brief attempt of Library of Congress to archive Twitter Rebecca: impossible and possibly unethical audience: for questions about how long things last, subreddit r/DataHoarder/ Calais: Library of Congress also has listing of their recommended file formats audience: various Facebook groups passionate about old formats like minidisks or reel to reel, lot of people would be willing to help Rebecca: archivist hat back on: time to deal with older media is now, because things degrading and because equipment being bought up by vendors to do it professionally Rebecca: close out: what do you personally do if really love something and want to be sure continue to have access to? purchase physical medical, own digital copy, track on streaming? Shirley: do buy video and audio on physical media for stuff I really love. if physical media doesn't exist, will try to find other ways to preserve, and keep in multiple places. NAS (network-attached storage) at home, another at makerspace, uploaded to cloud service (I asked after panel: an NAS is more complicated than an external hard drive that I run backups to, but for my purposes that plus cloud backups is good) Calais: actually not as good at this as should be. still buy physical books because can read on Sabbath, and they're pretty, so more with fanfiction and things like that. "I should do something about that, I should print it out eventually"--don't do this, later will be too late. one thing about preservation: really interesting story from professor about video preservation and emulation, some official project looking to do Oregon Trail. would normally think want to preserve source code. creators said, you can recode, but what we want is how and when die, which was based on historical data, to stay same. not what a lot of people would think to preserve. David: as fan of cartoons, for webcomics try to find artist and purchase book directly from them or dead-tree from website. one thing re: technical aspects of preservation, also overlooked, compensation to creators Rebecca: in my experience, if reach out to creator and say, I love this so much I want to have a copy I can preserve, often will be really happy to work with you panel notes
I did not expect this to be the "old things and preservation thereof" Arisia, but I greatly enjoyed it!
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Second-to-last set of panel notes.
Description:
Hope. It can drive characters through the darkest, dreariest, most challenging plots we give them. It can also be challenging to write hope in a way that doesn't come across as sickly sweet and sentimental. Our panel of writers will share their experiences with writing characters with hope, whether that hope is inherent to the character from the start or is found along the way.
Andrea Hairston, Daniel José Older, JR Dawson, Micaiah Johnson, Ryka Aoki
starts with Daniel reading "If I Must Die" (also at Wayback Machine), a poem written by Refaat Alareer, a Palestinian poet who was murdered in Gaza on December 7, 2023. Andrea: appropriate way to start panel. reads description: "If you're not here for that panel, then stay." asks for introductions. JR, she/they: novel The First Bright Thing is very much about hope in very dark time Micaiah she/her: The Space Between Worlds is considered dystopian but thinks inherently hopeful to look at dark and get through Ryka: in Light From Uncommon Stars had to really balance authenticity of trauma with not falling to despair, hopes it was not treacly but meeting people where were and uplifting Daniel he/him: writes for Star Wars, "actually contractually obligated" to end on hope, challenging especially when Order 66 is happening, but always happening. latest of non-tie-in fiction, Outlaw Saints duology, is about Caribbean island that sank, everyone goes to Brooklyn, protagonist just wants to play piano and talk to girl (who is a murderer), but he has power to heal Andrea: reads James Baldwin quote about despair, which I believe is I never have been in despair about the world. I’ve been enraged by it. I don’t think I’m in despair. I can’t afford despair. I can’t tell my nephew, my niece. You can’t tell the children there’s no hope. (source) Andrea; what do you all do with rage, despair, hope Micaiah: forthcoming novel, asked to write author's note to contextualize anger in the text, wrote about rage. for me, not scary word, bitterness = resignation = scary; rage burns. hope can't be passive, must be active, have to want to be doing a thing about it, rage can lead you there. more and more today seems impossible that can exist outside each other Ryka: hope is something has different incarnations and expectations, always there but shows up in different ways; lost mother last year, first hoped get better, then that not suffering, now that looking at us right now. because circumstances change, what hope is, is always in relationship to (situation?). (something about Undertale & non-killing route, but hard to take, that I did not quite follow). book working on now, started about saving people, now about hope that legacies and memories treated with dignity Daniel: sometimes externally people very comfortable shoving hope (also forgiveness) down throats at expense of rage, grief. can't have true hope without honoring those. the steeper the climb to get to hope, the better story it is going to be when get there. people ask, why don't you write in utopias, "that shit is boring," of course can do it but sees utopia every day in way we treat each other, e.g. protest, gathered together in hope and rage, and obtain from others (there was a panel on utopia that I missed, sadly, and I bet would have been very interesting in comparison to this) JR: totally agree, hope is not polite, full of rage and audacity and confidence that don't necessarily feel but have to. when wrote this book, healing from some stuff, but at least I have my found family so there is hope. then we had to move to find protection laws because of what happening in my home state, ended up in Minneapolis alone, very angry. what do when everything can be taken away? about month after moved in, Gaza; is Jewish, absolutely against Andrea: hope is not nice, does not need to diminish force of response to world. Audre Lorde quote: At the same time, while we surviving in the mouth of this dragon, we also need to be feeding our vision. Which is one of devising a future where we will live someplace other than the teeth of the dragon. If not in my lifetime, or even in my children’s lifetime, that we would all contribute to what is known as “the great going forward.” That eventually we will move beyond dragonhood. (source) So how do you feed your vision? Ryka: trusting that I'm a soul — when you're queer trans & of color, lot of reasons to invalidate self — discovering that have life, soul as sacred as any of yours, quite emancipating. trust my own humanity, my soul is not meant to be dragon food, respect myself and respect others through that, respect self in turn; if can keep that going (unfortunately lost rest in yelling about Hamlet coming from next door) Micaiah: you are coming from softer kinder place than I am. going back to quote, I am in the mouth of a man that hates me, and it doesn't feel like victory, but have to divorce productive monolithic model of success from experience of joy. may not ever see get out of mouth, but I will taste bad, give indigestion. put joy in doing because can't do anything else, fulfilled even if don't see political changes Andrea: feel like I’m the dream of my ancestors so can't be messing around because got to keep dream going JR: joy is an act of resistance, says sticker given by wife when things hard; know that people out there who want us to be miserable, so act of joy is hope. Daniel: love all answers so much, so grateful. as a Jew, been leveled by what's happened. on top of being already enraged at world. struggle to find capacity to function but also so many words inside of feels like no time to get out, but feels so urgent for own sanity and express to world. also know grown to be better human, Jew, participant in this world when demanded to step up, also found community which has truly been a blessing. response to protests, hear "that what's going to do, just piss people off." well, yes. but instant gratification, not how magic works and not protest either. Sunday school story, old man planting fruit tree, someone says, you'll be dead before it fruits; yes, says old man, it's for the kids. take heart in that, it's what we do when we write books. act of faith to be in community with future and create, with present at same time JR: thing about Judaism, idea of spark all have inside, job to come into world and pull out of each other. Jewish storytelling, that discomfort of not everything being okay, things suck, what are going to do about it Andrea: find that being together and able to speak about it, gives me lots of hope. my secret, this is why I wanted to be on panel, taking notes. Andrea: Ursula le Guin: The literature of imagination, even when tragic, is reassuring, not necessarily in the sense of offering nostalgic comfort, but because it offers a world large enough to contain alternatives and therefore offers hope. (from “The Critics, the Monsters, and the Fantasists” (source)) Micaiah: place where we can problem solve and figure things out, why I balk about utopia thing: what do you think we are doing, trying to imagine way out. something beautiful about dreaming, which is how like to think about writing. also derive hope from SF field because it has made the world, if Philip K. Dick can invent fax machine, certainly we can invent way out. in other life is an academic, Critical Race Theory, building off each other's papers toward more perfect theory Ryka: at WorldCon, asked on panel, what is more likely first: FTL, find intelligent life on other planet, trans people just being allowed to live life without hassle. couldn’t answer. low-hanging fruit: what if we just chose to be cool to each other, left people alone, could do that tomorrow, would change who were are as human much more than bigger particle accelerator. so want to do with own work, show possibility of what happens when get to know people: donut shop in building with a stargate, when is last time talked to person in donut shop. when writing books, want to show what might be missing in own drama that closed off to bounty of imagination and passion and stories and wonder that are all around me. occasionally get glimpse out of that, can't lose all hope for humanity, see so much even when miss most of it Andrea: problem is that we are not open to each other's worlds: how? I'm going to try compassion with my rage, how can we work that Ryka: in addition to compassion, curiosity. not just appropriation and preservation, but cooperation, maybe because capitalism made everything a transaction. used to be able to meet and share without wrecking Andrea: survival of the friendliest Ryka: like to come in with expectation that everyone has something to teach me. very few people wake up and say I really want today to be an asshole. certainly some. but really pastiche of what think other people are, should actually observe and listen. Micaiah: we're not only ones who have hope, but oppressors also have. understanding that what seeing is a conflict of dreams and hope, leads to more possibility of engagement JR: when writing: thinks of scene from V from Vendetta, main character is sitting in jail, gets little piece of paper through wall and reading story, says this is my story; my hope is whoever is reading, who feel very alone and don’t deserve to be main character, can see selves and that book says I believe in you, you're enough, just keep going Daniel: as someone who loves history, really try to work from guiding principle that if look deeply at places empire most wants to obscure, find so much gold and maybe even hope. see: Cuba; more recently, Jewish history, pockets had no idea about that were enacted in challenge to Zionism. socialists great-grandparents trying not to take someone's land. based on word means "hereness," Doikayt. always more find out more don't know, sometimes those areas are where imagination takes over Andrea: what of your or someone else's work would recommend: history to read, story that saved you, message that came to you. all these people up here, their books are my hope. also quotes gave you Micaiah: in academic work, read a lot about lynchings. would read long poem "Summer Somewhere" when need to take breaks. imagines alternate heaven for black boys, watch them play; doesn't ask for productive change, wholly imaginary, but got through studying for comps. just the idea of the dream has a medicinal effect. Ryka: going to cheat, Demon Slayer, when character Kanao was traumatized so couldn't make decisions had to flip coin: maybe your voice is just small. Ryka con't: if she needed to give someone hope, would take to very nice stationary store and just watch, hopefully at end of day could hand them bag with tools to use if ever need to talk to someone JR: could not find quote, from book If Tomorrow Doesn't Come, YA sci-fi, in vein of Deep Impact but Sapphic; content note: suicidal ideation and attempt. main character is very set on doing A Thing, when right before, finds out from ex that asteroid is going to hit Earth and has X days to live. feeling of, things suck, what do you with this time? some people want to build bunker, some want to see world. character who goes out, leaves quote on wall that people have been getting tattooed etc. (me: I also cannot find this! does anyone have the book?) JR: also going to throw in Hadestown which does have tattoo from, idea that is a loop, especially in off-Broadway version where last song loops into first: maybe this time he won't turn around Daniel: first: Edward Said, Culture and Imperialism, follow-up to Orientalism, looks at novelists etc not just archeologists, military; found so inspiring even though dense, find these understandings of resistance and of ways through and of talking back; seeing that has always happened is so inspiring, people always turned camera around and part of centuries long conversation about survival. second: all of Andrea's books, every one speaks to this question. it's about culture, which so often is the answer to all of this. means community, creating, resistance. Andrea: have to sit with that, not break into tears. in most recent book, someone says: going to have festival amid all this? character responds: yes. and festival is all of you (audience), so, questions Q: as writer, how think about balancing joy and sorrow, what are considering Daniel: truth is not everyone asks that question, but can't find balance unless go too far in one direction, enter into process with question in mind and realization that going to go too far and then have radar up for when. every story has own balance. in middle grade series (Dactyl Hill Squad), can't lie to kids that slavery doesn't exist, because they will call on it, but also can't traumatize either Micaiah: for me, what effect are trying to achieve, another way, who are you writing for and accountable to? thinks of alternate ending to movie Get Out, originally less kind, but director said, the people I am making for, don't want to have to see that JR: have theater background, first word comes to mind is catharsis. couple years ago, commissioned to take Holocaust survivors testimony and turn into 45 minute play shown to both survivors … and 7th graders in rural Nebraska. used music, structured like Shabbat. really hard when writing about trauma, especially collective trauma. have to talk about things to educate children, but an actor steps forward and says, this isn't all we're about, we're still here, there is still joy. catharsis is when taking care of audience, leading through exercise of going to feel this but safely Ryka: think that balance, very different from each person, find your own. not about correct blend, what's the best you. answer not out there, what book do you want to bring to us. then just do it. your book will reach a reader in way that not been reached before, because it's your story Andrea: and you will have many answers to this question for yourself, and lots of wonderful people will talk to you about them Q: broad question but: studying English education in college, concept of collective and cultural imagination comes up a lot; look at world as is and see hope, kind of your job as writers; anything like to share about how protect, nurture, exercise ability to imagine world that isn't Ryka: I was trans elder way before should have been because many of elders died, I caught tail end of HIV (missed some), reason that hope is last in Pandora's box, everything else lost. hope is like gravity, just here: people may ignore but is here, so knows that after say goodbye to friend, still have to eat, and might as well be Thai food because world doesn't stop giving. as bad as world's going to get, will be stories make you cry tears of inspiration Q: working on alternate history, thinking of ending with lack of resolution, this has thinking a lot about difference between lack of resolution and hope, was thinking reader would bring own hope in; your thoughts? Daniel: tricky, great question. this is about craft, these are all craft concerns. think in danger on craft level of leaving more unsure than want to, which is not to say don't do it. multiple layers of resolution may be possible since every resolution opens more doors. don't want to leave hanging, writers do have to make decisions, can be opinions with room for interpretation but have to take stand sometimes and end is one, but still can have cake and eat given multiple layers--reader doesn't want to do all the work Micaiah: difference between open and ambiguous; like to be tricked but not abandoned, if know possibilities then can feel satisfied with being among them. guide toward set of possibilities, or true cut to black leaving reader on own: know what you want Andrea: then use your craft to lead reader where they want to be JR: concur. important: what do you want reader to do when set book down and go back to lives, what want them to think about. like teaching kid to ride bike, you've got it, go … oh you fell Daniel: I thought you were going to bring your own shit to it! Andrea: even though didn't record (this panel, which someone lamented earlier), as theater person about being in moment together. (I did not shout out that I was taking detailed notes, because that seemed rude.)panel notes. include mention of ongoing world traumatic events, as expected with this topic.
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Another set of Arisia panel notes, for another great panel.
Description:
Libraries, archives, and museums house materials a society deems worth preserving, and the decision is usually presided over by dominant social groups. How does science fiction and fantasy address the problem of what gets memorialized and who is excluded and therefore silenced?
Alastor; Greer Gilman; Jon Evans; Moniquill Blackgoose; Sara Codair
Sara: they/them, works in higher ed; SFF writer; very interested but not a lot of expertise in topic Alastor, they/them: (pronounced ah-LAST-or) physician, academic background in medieval lit, archives, special collections librarianship Moniquill, she/her: author, enrolled member of the Seaconke Wampanoag Tribe and a lineal descendant of Ousamequin Massasoit, very interested in rewriting of history by colonizers & writing & rewriting problematic history Jon: wrote Exadelic: ran the archiving of the world's open source software before writing that book Greer, she/her: preservation librarian at Harvard for about 25 years, first microfilming & then digitizing of mountain of books, always saddened that very often original book would be discarded Sara: favorite work that features storage/transmittal? Greer: Library of Babel, Borges; kind of dream, because impossible to lose, infinite. OTOH: no finding aid, all there but would never be able to find (do you all know about the Library of Babel project on the web? It does only contain lower-case letters, spaces, commas, and periods. Here is one result for “do you all know about the library of babel project on the web”, surrounded by other words.) Jon: visited Borges library in Buenos Aires, so disappointed finite and no hexagons. cites Handmaid's Tale, which has The Library (approved works) but also illicit one, not just censorship but selective access Alastor: always wanted to visit The Name of the Rose library, secret part of it; The Library of Ever, YA, not just print or AV, but e.g. huge globe; book has messages for kids about censoring children's reading Sara: who controls information in those examples or others? Greer: nonfictional example, Bodleian Library, during early 17th century Oxford setting up it, Sir Thomas Bodley refused to buy contemporary plays like Shakespeare: riffraff, genre fiction! sold 1st Folio to buy 2d when came out, ended up with 4th. took very long time for genre fiction to be recognized as something worth saving Jon: previously answered, so different one: Anathem, guilty pleasure. monasteries, 4 corners, one opens every 10 years, one every 100, one every 1000: slow realization that this is a system that is being maintained, but left deliberately ambiguous why or by who Moniquill: reminded of Canticle for Leibowitz: The Simplification after nuclear war, all that info must've caused society’s downfall. monk archivist doesn’t know what the information stored in archives is, but dutifully re-archives. I am a nonfictional example, I am a member of Seaconke Wampanoag tribe; the erasure of pre-colonial history in US is huge and sometimes deliberate (audience: sometimes?). when I was a kid, history in school started when Pilgrims arrived; idea that oral traditions don't count Alastor: fictional: A Sound of Stars, YA novel, 17 year old girl keeps secret library from destruction by alien overlords. real life: very heartening: went conference for archivists hosted on Warm Springs Reservation, which has three Nations living on it, archivists there are creating online accessible archives, not only digitizing oral history and rare documents, but creating portal system to limit access to Nation members to materials that are not meant to be universally accessible; thinking about seasonal access as well; includes language reclamation project as well (by modifying a link from the Confederated Tribes of Warms Springs, I think this is part of the Plateau Peoples' Web Portal.) Sara: next question was going to be more about reality, any others want to bring up Moniquill: TX curriculum on American history, very deliberate misinformation and erasure; also TX textbooks get distributed throughout country for complex reasons Jon: ever want to feel dejected for several hours, read Wiki list of destroyed libraries. nuance: in 2027, FBI surveillance tapes of MLK will be unsealed, could make argument that should never have been made and therefore should be destroyed Alastor: middle grade book series, Race to the Truth, meant to counter censorship efforts, all about kinds of things being omitted Greer: some things are not erased but not allowed to happen, as demonstrated in e.g. How To Suppress Women's Writing, erasure before it starts. even when things are kept, they're erased. Parthenon sculptures, not only appropriated: 1930s, donor said, I'll build gallery if you scrub them white. was good exhibition at Harvard of reconstructed painted statutes, remembers archer wearing Harlequin checkered paints Moniquill: bothered that used flat colors for all the paint. understand that only had bottom layer of paint but Greer: yes, I assume that were as great artists in paint as in stone. Alastor: palimpsest manuscripts, talked about as monks saving parchment, but a lot of it was also intentional, old pagan document don't need. some effort to use fMRI to see if can find out what is underneath, but huge loss Moniquill: coming back to oral tradition, incredible bowdlerization of those to remove all sex and poop jokes which were very much part of original but English translators thought crass Greer one of fave stories of English folklorists which really sanitized: Padstow Oss, Cornwall ritual, oss=horse, but it's not horse, a gigantic thing with beak, terrifying; someone dances before it to tease it and spur it on to chase people through streets. In 1920s someone wrote paper on how saw crossdressed man as the teaser, including big theory about relationship to ancient times; then next year, saw same person dressed like clown, went up to him & said, very upset, "you're doing it wrong" Moniquill: Roger Williams' accounts of time among Narraganset and (didn't hear, possibly Mohegan?) peoples, has lot of strange theories about what happening and why, particularly re: menstruation: thought they must be descended from Jews because separated their women during this time because the women were unclean. no, it was because menstruation was regarded as physically and psychically powerful: man touches menstruating virgin, dick will fall off Sara: back to fiction, any fictional worlds that mirror problems in meaningful way that deconstructs, or that do a better job and what can we learn Moniquill: just came back from archeology panel (my notes), talked about looting, how in Mass Effect & Dragon Age there's a lot of deep history, little better in Mass Effect in that archeology exists, but Dragon Age there's no respect to archiving, just going around destroying archeological sites Alastor: middle grade series, The Ninja Librarians, secret time-traveling organization to help prevent censorship and destruction. also: who is even allowed literacy, see: Butler, Kindred; Ta-Nehisi Coates, The Water Dancer Moniquill: Nix, Abhorsen series: one of main characters after book 1 is a librarian, but of a very strange magical library, need to fight spirits and monsters, because is from before the erasure of lots of knowledge but lots of contents are cursed (me to myself: in Welcome to Night Vale, librarians are monsters and have to be fought to get to books, because it is a friendly desert community with significant elements of dystopia) Jon: Steerswoman series (I applaud), steerswomen are not just archivists but archives themselves. less said about series the better (Moniquill: just read it? Jon: yes. Greer: have to make the journey with it.) Greer: books with museums where characters don't understand entirely what got. Dalemark series, there is a book about people who are the gods (note: having not read series, I'm unclear whether the series contains such a book, or whether there is such a book within the fiction). at end of series, have museum of artifacts that are not understood in way that were by actual people who used them Moniquill: PBS special about museum in Pacific Northwest re: archive of masks looted from indigenous people and long legal battle about getting back, had to build museum to put them in, which indigenous people designed to give back the context that lacked (it was unclear to me if the building was a condition of the return that was put on the indigenous people or was reparation that the looters had to make? is this the new hall in the American Museum of Natural History?) Greer: English folklore, famous fight in early 20th century over who owned Morris dancing. collectors were getting very Aryan, other people were pointed out that this is part of people's lives; in addition, group of English working women wtih vibrant culture, were thrown out of the ring and not allowed to dance Sara: before questions, anything else want to mention? Moniquill: remembered fictional library need to get into: Belle's, Beauty & Beast Alastor: always wanted to build library like that, rolling ladders, but also: ziplines Jon: real world archives that are pretty SF in approach, salt mine in Austria, pocket of space being slowly covered because of currents in the salt, will stay covered for 100k years, people using as archive (I think this is Memory of Mankind (sic)?) Moniquill: project of trying to communicate nuclear dangers to future Jon: this is not a place of honor (this is definitely Expert Judgment on Markers To Deter Inadvertent Human Intrusion Into the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant: old Slate article rather than direct-linking to a 350-page pdf.) Greer: general exhortation: build libraries, archives, museums; make them open in what take in and who wants to use Q (from me): when I saw this title, I thought of the much more personal memory and erasure in Yoon Ha Lee's Machineries of Empire series and Arkady Martine's A Memory Called Empire, in both of which a preserved memory is implanted into another person's, and which are also very concerned, as their titles say, about imperialism. Do you think that this kind of interest in individual-level memory preservation is linked to, or can be connected with, these concerns about institutions? Moniquill: comes up a little bit in Mass Effect, core part of plot is that Shepherd gains memories from Prothean artifact and one of first people on team is archeologist who studies that, their communication back and forth very interesting Jon: Philip K. Dick territory, individual memory and identity, of course, but also obsessed with Gnostics, a culture whose written work was believed destroyed until 1945 discovered in Egypt audience: wanted to mention program Mukurtu, archiving program created with Australian indigeneous people (me: and in fact the project above is built on the Mukurtu CMS); also same people have designed creative commons but for levels of knowledge access (which I think are TK Labels) Greer: great difference in working with indigenous people is that library is the land Moniquill: when you cut down a food forest... same audience: group using VR to connect the oral tradition with land, not sure if go to the place with augmented reality or not, but working on Moniquill: Minecraft archeological society, build Minoan temples audience: when talking about erasure, we all feel emotional impact of tragedy, but can anyone articulate explicit reason other than just feels bad Moniquill: it's cultural erasure, it's completing a genocide, the most one can destroy a society; element of violence, tragic when landslide much worse when bombed on purpose Greer: worst Roman punishment was damnatio, when written out of history legally, judicially; everyone understood worst thing that can happen Jon: very concrete practical purposes as well why archives are important, but the human story is actually a lot of stories mixed together Alastor: distinction between forgetting and erasure, sadness and also anger Moniquill: familiar with gaslighting? imagine doing that to entire culture audience: moving to much less traumatic erasure, video game preservation. don't own them any more, also things like Flash only exist because of concerted effort. what is way to preserve things don’t actually own? someone: panel on this tomorrow (today, as of when I posted this: 8:30 p.m. Sunday, Preserving Media in the Age of Streaming, Marina 2) Jon: emulators are a lot of work; law isn't really structured for rights for archivists in video games, streaming; really boringly a legal question Moniquill: early internet, lot of just gone, Wayback Machine isn't complete Greer: was on GEnie night it disappeared, sentences literally vanishing before eyes Moniquill: especially old blogging culture, bluetext was everything, lack of context and original meaning can't be parsed any more Jon: aware of interesting project, fix all broken links on Wikipedia. Wayback respected people's decisions not to be archived, archivists have complicated feelings about Greer: for durability: 100% rag paper and a dry cave Moniquill: heard carve into granite and bury in limestone audience: mentions Uncensored Library, project by Recorders without Borders in MInecraft because not blocked even in countries with major firewalls audience: mentions Rachel Caine series, Great Library, YA: Library of Alexandria survived … and has monopoly on books. audience: there's a limit to bandwidth etc., how to figure out what is not worthy of being archived? Jon: Ada Palmer, one of advisors on open-source archive project, said all Renaissance archivists cared about preserving great works, we don't care about those, would like shopping lists Moniquill: very divisive in book art community, what books are ok to make out of Jon: I have made that decision, not easy Greer: after one set of Harvard card catalog was destroyed, someone said, so much info in those: librarian notes, fingermarks showing the most used (me: I notice that this question has not been answered. not that I blame anyone!) audience: favorite thing to do is to find most niche reference in footnotes and try to track down and learn all about. curious if have particular niche subject of archiving exploration or passionate about Jon: mildly interested in Gnosticism, didn't have these texts until rediscovered in 1945 … except ones not catalogued or are papyrus fragmented into popcorn size pieces Alastor: worked in SUNY Maritime Collection, on records of first hospice for elders, "old broken-down sailors" in terms of time; were these huge double-elephant folios with info about all residents; non-profit that had some ownership rights in records was concerned about personal nature of some records, which they addressed Moniquill: the study of how syphilis spread around the planet, very interesting and also very often deliberately hidden & destroyed Greer: very touching archive: London foundling hospital from 18th century, would try to keep scrap of what infant was wearing in case mother ever came back. did have just one or two cases where worked, but just these books with scrap after scrap of fabric. audience: brought to mind, Library of Banned Books in Prague, really cool place, people basically typewriting copies of favorite books to circulate under communism Jon: Václav Havel talks about this in very long extremely good essay (is this The Power of the Powerless?) audience: re FBI files of survelliance of MLK: when appropriate to deliberately erase or refrain from archiving? Jon: think cases exist but are pretty rare Greer: directions on how to destroy the universe? Jon: if it were easy to build nuclear bomb in kitchen? Moniquill: plenty of info about terrible things readily available Alastor: something you get in library school, what do when get people approaching seeking info on how to do terrible things me: what did they tell you? Alastor: really huge answer, especially if someone under 18. And we were out of time. (librarian in audience after panel finished: ethical judgment, very contextual, one of The Things always spend a lot of time discussing in library school)panel notes:
+1 (thumbs-up, I see you, etc.)?
I am at Arisia! I have a schedule! I also have a laptop that I took to some panels this morning. Here's the first:
Description:
Everyone thinks of Indiana Jones, but Captain Picard is an amateur archaeologist. Archaeological content abounds in fantasy and sci-fi. It's a staple in RPG's and computer games like Dragon Age, Mass Effect, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. As pleased as archaeologists are to see their field represented, the public understanding of the field is largely dominated by fictional accounts. Some professional archaeologists will help sift through these pop-culture finds, and help determine which are misconceptions, and where art imitates life.
Kevin Turausky, Moniquill Blackgoose, Ninian Stein, Peter Nulton, Roxanne Reddington-Wilde (moderator)
This was great. I'm sorry I arrived a little bit late. As soon as it was over I followed Moniquill on Tumblr (moniquill) and bought her book To Shape a Dragon's Breath.
Also I did not know that archaeology had that "ae" in the middle, I was convinced it was just an "e." TIL.
Excerpted from con bios:
Kevin: "I used to be a park ranger and worked at sites across the US, teaching nature and history to the public, and now I work in utilities."
Moniquill: "Monique Poirier is an enrolled member of the Seaconke Wampanoag Tribe and a lineal descendant of Ousamequin Massasoit. … She has blogged, essayed, and discussed extensively across many platforms the depictions of NDN and NDN-coded characters in sci-fi and fantasy, and would like to help other authors better understand how to produce respectful and well-thought-out indigenous characters and what the common pitfalls are in doing so. …"
Ninian: (no con bio; was trained as an anthropological-archaeologist and an environmental scientist, teaches at Tufts University.)
Peter: "a Classical and Maritime archaeologist who teaches at the Rhode Island School of Design. … Peter has a long history of debunking disinformation about archaeology."
Roxanne: "has been doing low-income public policy work at ABCD, Boston's anti-poverty agency, for the past 25+ years. She fell into the job after finishing her PhD in Celtic Studies while working at Harvard's Anthropology & Archaeology Museum. In the evening, she teaches Anthropology, Art History, Advocacy (and more) at Cambridge College … "
panelists seem to be talking about what draws them in and what repels them from field. Kevin: repels: weather (internship, Tucson in summer); attracted in SFF, Stargate Moniquill: believe I was brought into this panel as kind of dissenting voice, "because not an archaeologist, but I am An Indian." has read/watched/played lots of fiction re: archaeology Ninian: saw tv show when 9, fascinated; mon was like, there are no jobs in archaeology. in college, took course and realized can learn from archaeology for environmental challenges. professor at Tufts. job is to understand problems have today, how they came about, stories we tell about them that affects how (solve?); believes strongly in collaboration across both fields, especially with indigenous communities, and environmental justice. Peter was her first supervisor, dig in Greece Ninian con't: recommends fiction portraying traditional views of archaeology: "Evidence" by Alexis Pauline Gumbs in Octavia's Brood; "Scholar Miaka’s Brief Summary of Memories Imbued in Memory Object Exhibit 132.NW.1" by Jaymee Goh in Recognize Fascism Roxanne: archaeology must cross multiple fields and disciplines, not simply digging up stuff from the past. book from years ago, Andre Norton, The Time Traders, heroes are archaeologist time travelers, utterly filled with tropes & stereotypes (Ancient Aliens), but was caught by idea of being able to go physically into past; feels like for whole panel one or two things from childhood that was spark for career Roxanne: panel is about speculative fiction and where contrasts with what's real or not. if panelists practice archaeology, where does reality differ; if create fiction, how or where incorporated aspects or critique Moniquill: is storyteller; her book has a couple of historians (would not call them archaeologists) in it, who have already lost or rewritten on purpose lots of history, main character takes tea with them and gives them an earful. set in parallel 19th century, very different than today, not good archaeology. "archaeologists" posit that land might have been much more peopled, MC is like, no, we know that, there was a big plague, we have records. very much kid (15 year old) from inside the culture versus learned scholars who mostly studied in old country with 19th century colonialist mindsets Kevin: having done fieldwork, so much is extremely boring, not cinematic or good gameplay. doing transects, which is just walking in a line looking at ground: is this sharpened fleck of rock human-made or just a rock broke. when make a discovery: not a temple, here's a pile of cans left by an army. Peter: was going to talk about cataloguing and library work. was told in grad school, not exciting Indiana Jones all the time, but depends on what working on, was once on 60' extension ladder against Athenian Acropolis taking measurements (Ninian: "safety!" Peter: "my government permit had 'Danger' written on it"). Peter con't: in fiction, archaeologist just thinks of any old thing that comes into head, would like fiction to show complexity of hypothesis construction. the other side of that: debunking Ancient Aliens & Atlantis (Moniquill: Milo Rossi on YouTube!; Peter: awesome, I also have a TED Talk). re: Atlantis: just read Plato y'all, it's just a parable (me in my notes: EVERYONE SHOULD READ THE STEERSWOMAN SERIES) Roxanne: archaeology is slow and boring; once was in deep hole and so bored, covered legs with mud and drew pictures in it. to Kevin: were talking about survey archaeology, which I find interesting and fast paced because not sitting in a hole; was doing in Dartmoor crossing miles of landscape looking for stone walls and foundations. also damn hard work, carrying all the equipment and then measuring afterward (me: I presume that this is easier now); for every hour in field, at least 10 in lab, dozens more in integrating and thinking (question I noted down but did not get to ask: what are the fun details like the mud that people can use in their stories?) Ninian: "very little archaeology in fiction, a lot of looting". both in fiction & history of archaeology, have to watch out for narratives told because tend to be colonial. often shows up very clearly in fictional works, sometimes made fun of there as well: Motel of the Mysteries, David Macaulay: hypothesizes US was buried in 1980s in sea of junk mail; characters are excavating motel, about the comical errors they are making Moniquill: "when in doubt, it's a ritual object"; great Tumblr post about mysterious gold implements, ritual objects; someone talks to costumer, just golden inlays go around a cord on costume, just like we use now (if I find this on Tumblr I will update with link) Ninian: Marie Brennan, A Natural History of Dragons, has modern archaeology training but sets book in alt-history Victorian era to speed up development of field but also include strong arguments for not looting etc. Take Us To Your Chief & Other Stories by Drew Hayden Taylor, has story about petroglyphs as way to time travel, speaks to ways of thinking, indigenous archaeology Roxanne prompts for rants. Ninian: colonialism. well-meaning authors drawing on old/bad archaeology: late in Wrinkle in Time series, Welsh colonize New England, An Acceptable Time Moniquill: oh, the Maddox story (not at all sure I heard this right) Ninian: all ties into Ancient Aliens, discredit indigenous people and take power away from. spends lot of time talking about indigenous science when teaching. many societies only worked 4 hours/day to meet all needs, so much time for science, community building, understanding world around you, literature, comedy … Moniquill amazing thread from indigenous tumblr, do Ancient Aliens to European castles (this one I could easily pull up with a quick search: here) Peter: never seen show claiming Notre Dame Cathedral was built by. but we colonialize the past as well. said that and someone sarcastically responded, how will you decolonize the Greeks & Romans: but they were turned into something that 18th/19th century English needed to be. Atlantis, from 16-19th century, was not aliens, was conveniently disappearing white people Moniquill: (I think, in her book:) on mainland, were convinced indigenous people didn't build things, because they dismantled all the stone things to reuse (Peter: not entirely fiction; her: I know) Kevin: re: differences between archaeology practices (jumping off Roxanne's story); member of his grad school cohort went to Rome to work on skeletons, was trained on NAGPRA (Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of 1990) to be very respectful of, whereas people in Rome are the indigenous community so had very different, casual attitude toward. ties into fiction where, have all stories around colonization & white people going elsewhere digging up, but since have archaeology in Europe done by Europeans, what does that tell us: especially when it's SFF civilizations around for very long time yet always going to OTHER civilizations. Jean Luc Picard, does he have a favorite WWIII fighter plane? never learn about own past (me: I think this ties into the false belief that white people have no culture which is motivation to appropriate others) Moniquill: Dragon Age: Inquisition, Ocularum questline. learn later that tool using to find sites "is made of murder"; find ancient temple, just to loot it. especially weird if playing Dalish character since is Dalish temple Peter: find that not strange, UK people when find treasure in backyard, a lot are inclined to keep. Peter con't: in Greece—can't speak to government organization since their economic crisis, but used to be that if you found something prehistoric or Classical, you dealth with one part of government agency, but once hit late Antiquity period where Christianity something popular, then different part plus the Greek Orthodox Church gets involved Moniquill: watches BBC show Time Team, episode about WWI naval grave, and end of excavation reinterred all of bodies, didn't do that with ancient graves: "who's a real person?" Q: how mixed (augumented) reality will impact displaying artifacts and sites to people Peter: special interest in underwater archaeology, seen lot of developments, photogrammetry (I think? Wiki seems to think more about measuring than displaying); University of Calabria in Italy, in collaboration with company, created virtual tour of underwater Roman site, also can do tour underwater with waterproof tablets that you swim up to. (I think this is the Submerged Archaeological Park of Baia.) Roxanne: reconstructing cave art in local villages. I adore replicas. Q: alternate paradigms moving forward. Vernor Vinge posits that will need software archaeology Moniquill: already sort of happening; dealer's room with 8 bit games. the old Internet already gone, efforts to archive for instance Geocities pages lost to time (someone: sometimes for best (that they are lost)) Kevin: but most of archaeology is shifting through trash (bunch of cross-talk that I missed) Roxanne: technical definition of archaeology is not study of past but "study of human cultures through their material remains". in class, tells students to figure out about us, from all different water bottles and things you're drinking Moniquill: this disposable water bottle will be artifact in 10k years Roxanne: plastic is really gross to excavate, leather too Q: curious what have seen as "we live in the future" moments, re excavation technology etc Ninian: really wanted to say, if archaeological sites are not threatened, we tend to leave portion of site there for future archaeologists, very excited that in future might be able to do lot of work without disturbing, already have some tools, like satellite scanning Kevin: when was doing, had GPS that relied on satellite calibration, could just download into computer path that took which was great. tangent: was doing fire archaeology, because area was supposed to be clearcut for firebreak, so going ahead of chainsaw gang while wearing fireproof jacket, gloves because of mosquitos, etc., felt like was in spacesuit Q: how would you portray field more accurately but still entertaining Peter: room to do archaeological SOAP OPERAS. fieldwork: professor, grad students, undergrads, 30 people in same house each with 30 seconds of water warm enough for shower; "alliances form, unauthorized romances take place"; social aspect of exacavations, it's so strange, almost like summer camp. also fictional archaeologist usually looking for One Powerful Artifact; would be kind of neat to have medieval scholar trying to figure out Roman concrete audience: was movie about Sutton Hoo dig—Peter jumps in: entertaining but bad, woman shown as love object, was very authoritative scholar. (The Dig and Peggy Guido.) Roxanne asked for wrap-up, including next relevant panels, which y'all almost certainly don't care about, so: Ninian: encourage everyone to be careful consumers of narrative, what interests it's serving, who is included and notslightly cleaned-up panel notes
Like I said: great stuff.
+1 (thumbs-up, I see you, etc.)?
The last set of Yuletide recs I posted was in 2019 for the 2018 collection. I have still been downloading pre-reveal stories and reading, but having been unable to finish my 2019 rec post, and having a sad completionist tendency, I have not posted any recs since.
I'm trying to catch up, though, and I was very close to being done with 2019's stories when 2020's collection went live. So here are my recs for 2019; unfortunately I last read the vast majority of them three years ago, and have chosen not to reread for blurb purposes, because that way lies never finishing this post ever.
First: no-canon-required stories (which I know because I didn't know the canon and still liked them).
The Facebook of Margery Kempe (4505 words) by NaomiKif a very religious woman in the 14th c. had Facebook: The Book of Margery Kempe - Margery Kempe
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The Book of Margery Kempe - Margery Kempe, 14th Century CE RPF
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Margery Kempe
Additional Tags: Modern AU, Margery has Facebook, Margery has Twitter, Margery has concerned family members
Summary: IF YOU ARE UNASHAMED OF BELIEVING IN THE LORD JESUS OR HIS UNWORTHY SERVANT WHO WEEPS WHENEVER SHE THINKS OF HIM THEN SHARE THIS POST.
Octo-Heist in Space (4623 words) by Isisif there were pirates ... and octopi ... in SPACE!: Octo-Heist in Progress - Rich Larson
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Octo-Heist in Progress - Rich Larson
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Pico (Octo-Heist in Progress), Original Characters
Additional Tags: Octopi & Squid, IN SPACE!, Space Pirates, Space Stations, Science Fiction, Action/Adventure, Handwaving, Worldbuilding, Biotechnology
Summary: The Muneta Starlane's regular shuttle run turns out to be anything but regular.
Full House (9115 words) by Nopeif Sherlock and John lived on a present-day council estate: 221B Baker Towers
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: 221B Baker Towers
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Summary: "Who are you?" is the first and perhaps hardest question to answer.
Who Knows Upon What Soil They Fed Their Hungry Thirsty Roots? (4075 words) by oneiriadin which there is cooking for ... unexpected guests: The Victorian Way (Web Series)
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The Victorian Way (Web Series)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Mrs. Avis Crocombe, Edgar Ashman, Mary Ann Bulmer, Mrs. Warwick, Fanny Cowley, Mr. James Vert, Sylvia, John Barker, Mr. Lincoln
Additional Tags: Victorian cooking (authentic and not), Good neighbours being neighbourly
Summary: Unexpected guests at Audley End House bring a professional challenge for Mrs. Avis Crocombe, professed cook in the service of Lord and Lady Braybrooke.
The Rotten Heart (5133 words) by Nomadin which there is spookiness: Behind You (Webcomic)
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Behind You (Webcomic)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Additional Tags: Horror
Summary: Stonetree is a town with a hell of a past. Then again, I have one of my own.
Some Things Just Don't Happen (1803 words) by Silexin which there is first contact: Humans Are Space Orcs (Meme)
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Humans Are Space Orcs (Meme)
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Original Characters, Original Non-Human Character(s)
Additional Tags: First Contact, Aliens, Alien Cultural Differences, Slice of Life, Humor, Yuletide Treat
Summary: Or at least that's Thrii’Nik’kikk, an ordinary enough satellite repair technician used to believe. Even on the edges of known space, more or an arbitrary mapping and navigational designation rather than there being terribly much unknown beyond them, another ordinary day on the job should have been another ordinary day on the job. Then he got back home and turned over his ship's logs as was procedure, that was when things got strange.
Only The Stones (5645 words) by karanguniin which current and past Go masters confront AI: 21st Century CE Japanese Go Players RPF, Edo Era Japanese Go Players RPF
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: 21st Century CE Japanese Go Players RPF, Edo Era Japanese Go Players RPF, Japanese History RPF
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Iyama Yuuta, Ichiriki Ryo, Cho Chikun, Oota Yuuzou, Honinbou Jouwa, Honinbou Shuusaku
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe, Ghosts, Yuletide Treat, Not Quite Hikaru no Go
Series: Part 2 of Historical Enough
Summary: Japanese Go Masters vs. AlphaGo, or: Cho Chikun, Iyama Yuuta, and Ichiriki Ryo walk into a bar.
The Quiet Rebellion of Tardigrade Sela Writings (1100 words) by Edonohanaif tardigrades had literature: The Author of the Acacia Seeds - Ursula K. Le Guin
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The Author of the Acacia Seeds - Ursula K. Le Guin, LE GUIN Ursula K. - Works
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Original Tardigrades
Additional Tags: Metafiction, Don't Have to Know Canon, Tardigrades, Documentation, Worldbuilding, In-Universe Article
Summary: You are no doubt familiar with the major genres of tardigrade literature.
Next, TV and movies:
The Wildest Of Them All Was The Cat (3369 words) by phneltCaptain Marvel
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Captain Marvel (2019), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Monica Rambeau, Maria Rambeau, Nick Fury, Chewie | Goose (Marvel), Carol Danvers
Additional Tags: background Carol/Maria, Monica and Goose BFFs forever, Post-Captain Marvel, Yuletide Treat, Misses Clause Challenge
Summary: Goose would just appear in their house sometimes. // The first time, Goose was just watching Monica putting together a model of the solar system. Goose was staring at the little Pluto, wobbling on the stretched out wire Monica had set up. She wanted to capture the orbit, but it was making it a little unstable.
Free Netflix Subscription (10103 words) by WildgooseryThe Good Place
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The Good Place (TV)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Tahani Al-Jamil/Eleanor Shellstrop
Characters: Tahani Al-Jamil, Eleanor Shellstrop, Michael (The Good Place), Jianyu Li | Jason Mendoza, Chidi Anagonye
Summary: Neighborhood 12358W // Attempt #218 // Shellstrop soulmate: Tahani Al-Jamil
Stand Up Guy (1917 words) by cookinguptalesThe Muppet Show
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The Muppet Show
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Fozzie Bear, Kermit the Frog
Additional Tags: Fluff, Humor, Mild Schmaltz
Summary: Fozzie Bear thinks that perhaps his jokes need to keep up with the times, but Kermit has reservations.
Clothes Make the Man (3350 words) by junkoSamurai Champloo
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Samurai Champloo
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Kasumi Fuu, Mugen (Samurai Champloo), Jin (Samurai Champloo)
Summary: It's just another day in Fuu's life... of course, ever since meeting Mugen and Jin, those days are always extraordinary.
Tales From Bunny Mountain (5618 words) by telarnaThe Untamed (yes, this is how you know how old these fics are)
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: 陈情令 | The Untamed (TV), 魔道祖师 - 墨香铜臭 | Módào Zǔshī - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Jīn Líng | Jīn Rúlán & Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn, Lán Zhàn | Lán Wàngjī/Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn, Jīn Líng | Jīn Rúlán/Lán Yuàn | Lán Sīzhuī
Characters: Jīn Líng | Jīn Rúlán, Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn
Additional Tags: Animal Transformation, wei wuxian's avuncular powers, Fluff, lan zhan is the worst bunny ever, lan sect does not know how to party, Bunnies, Post-Canon, Yuletide Treat, plz view all ship tags as having an '-ish' on the end, as precisely fifty percent of each pairing is uh currently a bunny
Summary: The auntie freezes. “Ah,” she says, and swallows. “That is to say…” Her fingers tighten around the basket, and she goes on, despairingly, “Has Lan-er-gongzi not… spoken to you? Of the Thousand Freedoms spirit cleansing array and its… side effects?” // “A-yi,” Wei Wuxian says gravely, still petting the rabbit, “it is safe to say that he has not.”
Next, miscellanous fandoms and cross-overs:
Secondary Infection (2620 words) by SeldenThe War of the Worlds
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The War of the Worlds - H. G. Wells
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Characters: Assorted Martians
Additional Tags: Blood Drinking, Character Death, Heavy-handed use of Victorian hymn
Summary: The Martians have the very best of intentions. And they don't die. Not exactly.
A song for three voices (2965 words) by Quillori The Lute-Player's Daughter (2006 words) by avaniThe Lute Player (Fairy Tale) (2)
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The Lute Player (Fairy Tale), Fairy Tales & Related Fandoms
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Summary: He has waited a long time for ransom or rescue.
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The Lute Player (Fairy Tale), Fairy Tales & Related Fandoms
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: King/Queen
Additional Tags: Female Character of Color, Fairy Tale Retellings, Alternate Universe - Setting Change
Summary: The lute Ghoshavati was the stuff of legends; played in the hand of a master such as Udayana, it could tame the fiercest of beasts and bend the elements to mortal will. Udayana’s daughter, however, who found herself presented with it, was nothing of the sort.
Far From The Hive (1445 words) by draconicsockpuppetDwarf Fortress
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Dwarf Fortress
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Original Characters
Additional Tags: Beekeeping, Career Change, Dwarven Scholarship, Giant Spiders
Summary: Sometimes you have to develop new skills to stay relevant.
John Cage Collaborates with the Archive's Terms of Service (0 words) by republic4'33" - John Cage (Song)
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: 4'33" - John Cage (Song)
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Additional Tags: Meta
Series: Part 5 of The John Cage sessions
Here You Come Again (7169 words) by thefourthvineJolene - Dolly Parton (Song)
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Jolene - Dolly Parton (Song)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Jolene/Narrator (Jolene)
Additional Tags: Enemies to Lovers
Summary: Four times Jolene stole Stella's man, and one time she stole Stella.
Serpentine (3892 words) by feroxargenteaMaster & Commander and Machineries of Empire
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Master and Commander - All Media Types, Machineries of Empire Series - Yoon Ha Lee
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Jack Aubrey, Stephen Maturin, Snakeform Servitor (Machineries of Empire)
Additional Tags: Age of Sail, Slight crossover with Machineries of Empire, Communication, navigation, Yuletide Treat
Summary: In which Jack and Stephen find a snake, and Stephen accidentally invents Morse code.
Spider She Wrote (1163 words) by glossMurder She Wrote and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Murder She Wrote, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Miles Morales, May Parker (Spider-Man), Jessica Fletcher
Additional Tags: Crossover, maine, Secrets, not dark!!!, not at all
Summary: Miles and May visit her old friend Jessica in Cabot Cove.
To Do In Tent (5154 words) by Mithrigil Untitled Multifandom Goose Fic (4231 words) by GlassRain Untitled Crossover Fanfic (3856 words) by 100indecisionsUntitled Goose Game crossovers (3)
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Untitled Goose Game (Video Game), The Great British Bake Off RPF
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Characters: Goose (Untitled Goose Game), Sue Perkins, Mel Giedroyc, Paul Hollywood, Mary Berry, Original Characters
Additional Tags: Hijinks & Shenanigans, Slapstick, Food Porn, Backstage, Misses Clause Challenge, Lost Episode, Anarchy, Bad Puns, Crack Treated Seriously
Summary: It is a lovely morning in the Bake-off Tent, and you know exactly what this fic is about.
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Untitled Goose Game (Video Game), Doctor Who (2005), Pet Shop of Horrors, Lady of the Shard (Webcomic), Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, The Good Place (TV), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, We Appreciate Power - Grimes (Music Video), Steven Universe (Cartoon), The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Goose (Untitled Goose Game), Crossover Character(s)
Additional Tags: Multiple Crossovers, To-do lists, Whimsy, Chaos
Summary: It's a lovely day in the multiverse, and you are a horrible crossover.
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Untitled Goose Game (Video Game), Avengers Academy (Video Game)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Steve Rogers & Natasha Romanov, Loki & Natasha Romanov, Goose/being horrible
Characters: Goose (Untitled Goose Game), Amora (Marvel), Loki (Marvel), Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanov (Marvel), Nick Fury, Jarvis (Iron Man movies), Sam Wilson (Marvel), Kamala Khan, Peter Quill, mentions of others
Additional Tags: Crossover, Hijinks & Shenanigans, Swearing, which I wouldn't note except neither canon actually has swearing, so this is canon-atypical swearing, but no one can convince me these characters wouldn't talk like this
Series: Part 1 of Video game fanworks, Part 13 of Loki fic
Summary: It’s a lovely day at Avengers Academy, and you are a horrible goose.
Finally, because it's the longest: books!
a burning coal of kindness (4517 words) by egelantierThe Goblin Emperor - Katherine Addison
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The Goblin Emperor - Katherine Addison
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Deret Beshelar & Maia Drazhar
Characters: Deret Beshelar, Maia Drazhar, Cala Athmaza, Csethiro Ceredin
Additional Tags: Hurt/Comfort, Kidnapping, Torture, Hostage Situations, Post-Canon
Summary: When Maia is kidnapped by a faction hoping to halt the construction of Wisdom Bridge, Beshelar, gravely injured, is by his side. It might just be their undoing.
Ways Home (3336 words) by kalirush To Wander Still (2720 words) by ravenWayfarers Series - Becky Chambers (2)
Chapters: 3/3
Fandom: Wayfarers Series - Becky Chambers
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Kip, Eyas, Original Characters
Additional Tags: Anxiety, change, Grief/Mourning, Family, outside pov, Community - Freeform
Summary: Some perspective on Kip and Eyas following the events of the book.
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Wayfarers Series - Becky Chambers
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Isabel Itoh/Tamsin Itoh
Characters: Isabel Itoh, Tamsin Itoh, Kip Madaki
Summary: The immigrants need ceremonies, too.
I do forgive thy robb'ry, gentle thief (6175 words) by ConvenientAliasLilywhite Boys Series - K. J. Charles
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Lilywhite Boys Series - K. J. Charles, Any Old Diamonds - K.J. Charles
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Jerry Crozier/Alexander "Alec" Pyne-ffoulkes
Characters: Jerry Crozier, Alexander "Alec" Pyne-ffoulkes
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Kidnapping, Heist, Pre-Slash, Yuletide Treat
Summary: “Jerry?” Alec asked. // He’d started out the night calling Jerry “Vane”, until Jerry had convinced him to use his first name. It was kind of sweet that he was now continuing the practice while Jerry was standing there in front of their host's safe, holding in one hand a skeleton key and in the other hand a switchblade. // “Alec! How odd to run into you here. Tell me, what were you doing under Sir William’s bed?”
The Magicians of Starecross Hall (34407 words) by thatbroadcastJonathan Strange & Mr Norrell - Susanna Clarke
Chapters: 4/4
Fandom: Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell - Susanna Clarke
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: John Childermass/John Segundus
Characters: John Segundus, John Childermass, Emma Pole, Mr Honeyfoot (Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell), Vinculus (Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell)
Additional Tags: Slow Burn, Epistolary, Post-Canon, Found Family, Fairy Tale Elements
Summary: Being a series of interludes in the life of John Segundus, newly practical magician, in the year following the disappearances of Messrs. Strange and Norrell. Including: a new school for young magicians, explorations of the King’s Roads, Lady Pole’s alarming needle-work, unanticipated trips to Faerie, and John Childermass.
Rocks In His Pocket (1814 words) by WasuremonoThe Lottery - Shirley Jackson
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The Lottery - Shirley Jackson
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Dave Hutchison/Original Female Character
Additional Tags: Post-Canon, canon-typical tone, some romantic content, Worldbuilding, Non-Explicit Medical Horror
Summary: Dave Hutchison leaves the village behind, but his memories stay with him.
Ascendant (1506 words) by SynergicThe Broken Earth Series - N. K. Jemisin
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The Broken Earth Series - N. K. Jemisin
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Nassun (Broken Earth), Damaya | Essun | Syenite
Additional Tags: Post-Canon, Healing, Grief/Mourning
Summary: There are other ways to change the world.
A Further Addendum to the Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler (11084 words) by greenbirdsFrom The Mixed-Up Files Of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler - E. L. Konigsburg
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: From The Mixed-Up Files Of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler - E. L. Konigsburg
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Jamie Kincaid, Claudia Kincaid
Additional Tags: in which i am unexpectedly wholesome, no really, come for the epistolary fic stay for the history lesson, its even sort of a christmas story, a story about brothers and sisters, and also about friendship, let's not talk about how many tabs i had open to write this
Summary: On the Monday before the Thanksgiving school break, Jamie Kincaid received a package in the mail.
In All Its Guises (487 words) by neveralarch The Fish's Palace (1655 words) by UrsulaKohlThe Raven Tower - Ann Leckie (2)
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The Raven Tower - Ann Leckie
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: The Myriad (The Raven Tower)
Summary: Here is a story. Some part of it is probably true.
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The Raven Tower - Ann Leckie
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: The Myriad (The Raven Tower), Original Female Character(s)
Additional Tags: Chemistry, Geology, Shipworms, Perfume
Summary: I will tell you a story! There was a woman, in a palace near the city known as Therete, who had never seen the ocean. Yet she had a skill needed to build a fleet!
Worthy of Attention (2563 words) by neveralarchImperial Radch Series - Ann Leckie
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Imperial Radch Series - Ann Leckie
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Gem of Sphene & Zeiat (Imperial Radch)
Characters: Gem of Sphene (Imperial Radch), Zeiat (Imperial Radch), Queter (Imperial Radch)
Summary: Sphene has a new captain. Ambassador Zeiat isn't sure what to think about that.
On Lsel, Hope is a False Memory (3641 words) by GlowsInTheDark History Talking to Itself (2194 words) by Sour_IdealistA Memory Called Empire - Arkady Martine (2)
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: A Memory Called Empire - Arkady Martine
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Yskandr Aghvin, Mahit Dzmare, Shrja Torel
Additional Tags: Conversations in Bars, Post-Book, minor character pov, POV Outsider, Three Seagrass is here in spirit, Emotions all over the place, including in the endocrine system, No major character death other than the character who's already dead still being dead (sort of), Mahit Dzmare/Three Seagrass (mentioned briefly)
Summary: In Teixcalaan, these things are ceaseless: star-charts, disembarkments, and Shrja Torel's ridiculous, illogical, impossible-to-get-rid-of envy for her best friend's job and imago. // (Mahit and Yskandr are very similar. Shrja is not.)
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: A Memory Called Empire - Arkady Martine
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Relationships: Mahit Dzmare/Three Seagrass, Yskandr Aghavn/Nineteen Adze/Emperor Six Direction, Past Mahit Dzmare/OFC
Characters: Mahit Dzmare, Three Seagrass, Twelve Azalea, Yskandr Aghavn, Nineteen Adze, Original Teixcalaanli Characters, Original Stationer Characters
Additional Tags: fake media, Epistolary, Fake Documents, Canonical Character Death, Worldbuilding, Poetry, Political Verse, Embedded Images (with descriptions)
Summary: Twelve excerpts from Teixcalaan and from Lsel Station.
A Hatching at Half-Circle Sea Hold (7164 words) by EdonohanaDragonriders of Pern - Anne McCaffrey
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Dragonriders of Pern - Anne McCaffrey
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Menolly (Dragonriders of Pern), Robinton (Dragonriders of Pern), Elgion (Dragonriders of Pern), Alemi (Dragonriders of Pern), Yanus (Dragonriders of Pern), Mavi (Dragonriders of Pern), T'gellan (Dragonriders of Pern), Mirrim (Dragonriders of Pern), Lessa (Dragonriders of Pern), F'lar | Fallarnon
Additional Tags: Hatching, References to Canon-Typical Violence, Fire Lizards
Summary: “That’s a rather extraordinary proposal, Menolly,” said the Masterharper.
The Beat of Her Wings (3111 words) by Dolorosa Voices from Between the Stars (1842 words) by DolorosaThe Forgotten Beasts of Eld - Patricia A. McKillip (2)
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The Forgotten Beasts of Eld - Patricia A. McKillip
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Sybel (Eld)/Coren of Sirle
Characters: Sybel (Eld), Coren of Sirle
Additional Tags: Post-Canon, Yuletide Treat, Mythical Beings & Creatures
Summary: The Liralen carries Sybel and Coren home, but not without a detour.
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The Forgotten Beasts of Eld - Patricia A. McKillip
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Sybel (Eld)
Additional Tags: Pre-Canon, Yuletide Treat
Summary: The Liralen was not the first legendary beast that Sybel tried to call.
Tilting at Millstones (3323 words) by notkingyetMoby Dick - Herman Melville
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Moby Dick - Herman Melville
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Ishmael/Queequeg (Moby Dick)
Characters: Ishmael (Moby Dick), Queequeg (Moby Dick)
Additional Tags: Canon-Typical Violence
Summary: Queequeg teaches Ishmael how to handle his harpoon.
In Which Eeyore Loses His Tail Again, Or At Least Plans To (1261 words) by hhertzofWinnie-the-Pooh - A. A. Milne
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Winnie-the-Pooh - A. A. Milne
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Eeyore & Eeyore's Tail (Winnie-the-Pooh)
Characters: Eeyore (Winnie-the-Pooh)
Summary: It's a bright, sunny day, and Eeyore has a plan to make it tolerable. Now if only his friends will cooperate.
A Solitary Death (7677 words) by HarukamiThe Bone Key - Sarah Monette
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The Bone Key - Sarah Monette
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Kyle Murchison Booth/John Pelham Ratcliffe
Characters: Kyle Murchison Booth, John Pelham Ratcliffe, Claudia Coburn
Additional Tags: Vampires, Case Fic, Yuletide, Yuletide 2019
Summary: They say that the sarcophagus is that of Alexander the Great. Booth has his doubts—how many places is that man said to be buried?—but if so, it would certainly be the prize of the Samuel Mather Parrington Museum. Archaeology might not be Booth's specialty, but he is nevertheless drawn into things when a fascinating stranger shows up at the Parrington after the sarcophagus arrives.
between the shadow and the soul (2226 words) by deliariumBlue Castle - L. M. Montgomery
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Blue Castle - L. M. Montgomery
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Barney Snaith/Valancy Stirling
Characters: Valancy Stirling, Barney Snaith
Additional Tags: First Time, Implied Sexual Content, Touch-Starved
Summary: Valancy and Barney's first nights in Mistawis.
Two Things (2652 words) by Isis Good Morning (1132 words) by neveralarch dulce et decorum est (11174 words) by SixthlightGideon the Ninth - Tamsyn Muir (3)
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Gideon the Ninth - Tamsyn Muir
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Jeannemary Chatur, Isaac Tettares, Magnus Quinn, Abigail Pent
Additional Tags: POV Jeannemary Chatur, Teenage Drama, Jeannemary has a tiny little crush on Gideon, But don't we all?
Summary: There were two things Jeannemary Chatur wanted: to fight for the Emperor Undying by the side of her necromancer, and for the stupid pimple on her chin to go away already.
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Gideon the Ninth - Tamsyn Muir
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Gideon Nav & Harrowhark Nonagesimus
Characters: Gideon Nav, Harrowhark Nonagesimus
Additional Tags: getting swole
Summary: Gideon's Guide to Doing Some Push-Ups, At Least, Have You Never Used Your Arms, Nonagesimus?
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Gideon the Ninth - Tamsyn Muir
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Palamedes Sextus, Dulcinea Septimus | Cytherea the First, Camilla Hect, Gideon Nav, Harrowhark Nonagesimus
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Historical, Espionage, Alternate Universe - World War II, New Zealand, Necromancy, Canon-Typical Violence, Canon Relationships
Summary: Over dinner, Palamedes reflected again on what the situation must be in Britain, that it had seemed logical – seemed worthwhile – to round up a crowd of researchers from all corners of the Empire and set them to finding a way to battle German soldiers with the corpses of their own dead.
the becoming garb of a gentleman (2625 words) by simplyirenicTemeraire - Naomi Novik
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Temeraire - Naomi Novik
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: William Laurence & Temeraire
Characters: Temeraire (Temeraire), William Laurence, John Wampanoag, Tenzing Tharkay
Additional Tags: a surfeit of textiles
Summary: “Oh, yes,” said Temeraire. “Laurence has several robes from the Emperor’s court already; I was rather thinking of something more modern. It has been so very long since he bought himself anything fine. He says he sees no need for it, now that he is no longer an admiral, but he is after all still a prince; sometimes I think he forgets.” // Temeraire commissions a set of clothing for Laurence. Post-canon.
Letters Home (8244 words) by alyoraShadowEmelan - Tamora Pierce
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Emelan - Tamora Pierce
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Trisana Chandler, Briar Moss, Sandrilene fa Toren, Daja Kisubo, Niklaren Goldeye
Summary: Tris at Lightsbridge.
The Tortoise Moves (But Not Very Much) (1257 words) by NomadSmall Gods - Terry Pratchett
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Discworld - Terry Pratchett, Small Gods - Terry Pratchett
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Om (Discworld), Brutha (Discworld)
Additional Tags: Yuletide Treat
Summary: Even the most strong-minded of witches would hesitate to wear a Borrowed body for too long, lest their way of thinking be permanently changed by the new perspective. // But of course, gods are different.
Be Bold, but not Too Bold (7989 words) by meguri_aite Winter Sun (1898 words) by bluemoonruneIn Other Lands | The Turn of the Story - Sarah Rees Brennan (2)
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: In Other Lands | The Turn of the Story - Sarah Rees Brennan
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Elliot Schafer/Luke Sunborn
Characters: Luke Sunborn, Elliot Schafer
Additional Tags: Post-Canon
Summary: A dragon appears in the Borderlands, and Elliot Schafer makes it his first order of business to get kidnapped by it.
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: In Other Lands | The Turn of the Story - Sarah Rees Brennan
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Elliot Schafer/Luke Sunborn, Golden-Hair-Scented-Like-Summer/Serene-Heart-in-the-Chaos-of-Battle
Characters: Elliot Schafer, Luke Sunborn, Golden-Hair-Scented-Like-Summer, Serene-Heart-in-the-Chaos-of-Battle, Louise Sunborn
Summary: The first winter after they leave the border camp is the harshest and longest in a generation.
Conversations on Trains and Libraries (1707 words) by misuraSilver in the Wood - Emily Tesh
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Silver in the Wood - Emily Tesh
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Tobias Finch, Adela Silver
Additional Tags: Missing Scene, Background Slash
Summary: Tobias and Mrs Silver en route.
the moon’s promises (2000 words) by betonyThe Queen's Thief - Megan Whalen Turner
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The Queen's Thief - Megan Whalen Turner
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Attolia | Irene/Eugenides
Characters: Attolia | Irene, Eddis | Helen, Eugenides (Queen's Thief), Moira (Queen's Thief), Phresine (Queen's Thief)
Additional Tags: Bodyswap, Mid-Canon, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Summary: The Queen of Attolia comes to understand the Thief of Eddis somewhat better than before.
The Snowl Queen (7947 words) by hamsterwomanHamster Princess Series - Ursula Vernon
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Hamster Princess Series - Ursula Vernon
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Harriet Hamsterbone, Prince Wilbur, Mumfrey
Additional Tags: Fairy Tale Retellings
Summary: “Of course she’s going cliff-diving!” said Harriet. “She’s a lemming, and that’s what lemmings do.” // “Qwerrrk,” said Mumfrey, which was Quail for, “I’m pretty sure that’s a myth, and anyway, can’t you see how upset she looks?”
And that's it for 2019.
(These are also on Tumblr: no-canon-needed stories; TV & movie fandoms; miscellaneous fandoms and cross-overs; and book fandoms.)
+1 (thumbs-up, I see you, etc.)?
Over on Mastodon; leave me a couple of characters from the same canon and I'll let you know what squares I check off for them?
+1 (thumbs-up, I see you, etc.)?
I offered to beta quite a lot of fandoms for this year's Yuletide, which I'll put behind the cut for convenience; as usual, if we know each other and you're looking for something else, leave a screened comment.
Hellspark - Janet Kagan fandoms I've offered to beta this year:
Yudah Cohen Series - Rebecca Fraimow
Gentleman Bastard Sequence - Scott Lynch
Machineries of Empire Series - Yoon Ha Lee
The Martian - Andy Weir
Element of Fire - Martha Wells
Friends at the Table: Sangfielle
Sneakers (1992)
The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents - Terry Pratchett
The Greenhollow Series - Emily Tesh
Wanted A Gentleman - K. J. Charles
Hilary Tamar Mysteries - Sarah Caudwell
What Moves the Dead - T. Kingfisher
80 Days (Video Game 2014)
College of Magics - Caroline Stevermer
Fall of Ile-Rien - Martha Wells
Sins of the Cities Series - K. J. Charles
Angels in America - Kushner
Sarantine Mosaic - Guy Gavriel Kay
Sector General Series - James White
This Is New Gehesran Calling - Rebecca Fraimow
Singing Hills Cycle - Nghi Vo
Nero Wolfe - Rex Stout
Steerswoman Series - Rosemary Kirstein
The Gentle Art of Fortune Hunting - K. J. Charles
The Hidden Almanac (Podcast)
Provenance - Ann Leckie
Saiyuki Gaiden
The Raven Tower - Ann Leckie
A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking - T. Kingfisher
Ocean's Echo - Everina Maxwell
Doctrine of Labyrinths - Sarah Monette
Monstrous Regiment - Terry Pratchett
The Necromantic Mysteries of Kyle Murchison Booth - Sarah Monette
Uhura's Song - Janet Kagan
The Doomsday Books - K. J. Charles
Moby Dick - Herman Melville
And Then There Were None - Agatha Christie (book)
Derkholm Series - Diana Wynne Jones
Lilywhite Boys Series - K. J. Charles
Green Men Series - K. J. Charles
The Haunting of Hill House - Shirley Jackson
The Princess Bride - William Goldman
Young Wizards - Diane Duane
Aubrey-Maturin Series - Patrick O'Brian
Last Binding Series - Freya Marske
Kate and Cecelia - Caroline Stevermer & Patricia Wrede
Miss Marple - Agatha Christie
The Unknown Ajax - Georgette Heyer
England Series - K. J. Charles
Uprooted - Naomi Novik
Princess Bride (1987)
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell - Susanna Clarke
Translation State - Ann Leckie
The Saint of Steel - T. Kingfisher
Westing Game - Ellen Raskin
Witch King - Martha Wells
The Will Darling Adventures - K. J. Charles
Ancillary Trilogy - Ann Leckie
Lord Peter Wimsey - Dorothy L. Sayers
Band Sinister - K. J. Charles
Wayfarers Series - Becky Chambers
Books of the Raksura - Martha Wells
A Charm of Magpies Series - K. J. Charles
Piranesi - Susanna Clarke
Temeraire - Naomi Novik
Emelan - Tamora Pierce
Dracula - Bram Stoker (Novel 1897)
The Goblin Emperor Series - Katherine Addison
Friends at the Table: Palisade
We Have Always Lived in the Castle - Shirley Jackson
Here's the full spreadsheet and the DW post.
aww dang, A.S. Byatt has died. Possession was a hugely important book to teenage me, and even mostly held up when I reread it about a dozen years ago (though seriously, where do those excerpted letters fit?!)
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I went to the Museum for Art in Wood this weekend in Philadelphia and I made five absolutely enormous posts about it over on Tumblr.
(edit: if you use the app, it won't like that link; use this one instead.)
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FYI, I've been talking about TGCF, a.k.a. the webnovel Heaven Official's Blessing—almost complete in official English translation!—over on Mastodon, and Friends at the Table's ongoing season Palisade over on Tumblr (link to my semi-original posts, link to all Palisade posts including reblogs WITH SPOILERS because Tumblr won't let you link to two tags at once).
(I don't think I've posted here about reading TGCF, and I don't have time this morning, but if anyone is curious, let me know about what and I'll try to respond in comments?)
Just back from a Wednesday-Saturday trip with the kids to NYC.
On Wednesday, SteelyKid and I went to the big Macy's with the goal of touring every floor. However, we spent a while actually shopping for fancy-ish clothes, so when we hit the eighth floor and discovered that it was not, as we'd thought, the last, we decided that we'd come close enough and we could live without seeing luggage and furniture.
Thursday, we went to a Yankees game for the second August in a row; I never posted about the last one, which was just a day trip, but having grown up outside of Boston, it physically pains me to be in Yankee Stadium even though I was never particularly a baseball fan. Nevertheless, Chad's side of the family are all Yankees fans who've passed it on to the Pip (who is playing baseball moderately seriously these days), and I will put up with it for their sake. Anyway, though the Yankees lost (and we got rained on), it was an exciting game and the kids were into it. I note that it's weird how much the new pitch clock affects watching in person; I'd get distracted by a kid behind me or something and suddenly three pitches had gone by without my noticing. (It was an afternoon game and T-shirt day, so there were many, many children there.)
Yesterday we went to the Met during the day; please see Tumblr for a long report with embedded pictures on Van Gogh, contemporary art, and random things.
That night we saw The Play that Goes Wrong off-Broadway, which is an incredibly silly new-ish play in which "the Cornley University Drama Society" attempts to perform "The Murder at Haversham Manor." The program contains such gems as a letter from "Chris Bean" (the Society's president, the director of the play, and the actor playing the detective role) that starts, We are thrilled that the Cornley University Drama Society is now performing at New World Stages. We can only apologise to those involved in the would-be Off-Broadway production of Equus, which due to a clerical error, is now being performed in the Cornley University Gymnasium. We hope there are no hard feelings and we've left the vaulting horse out for you. and a cast listing for "Max Bennett," playing Cecil Haversham, that reads: Max is in his first year at Cornley University where he is studying human geography and crime. He is an avid fan of films, and his favourite is The Legend of Bagger Vance, which he's seen 27 times. This is Max's first production with the Drama Society, and he is very glad to have donated a large portion of his recent inheritance to help the show. Over the course of the show, as the audience reacts positively to "Max's" performance, he mugs more and more shamelessly, clearly just delighted to be on stage. It's kind of adorable, honestly. ("Chris" gives a little speech at the start of the show saying that in the past, budget difficulties have led them to put on shows like "James and the Peach," which had to be changed to "James … Where Is Your Peach?" when the peach went bad.) Before the show officially begins, "Annie the stage manager" and "Trevor the lighting & sound operator" are asking audience members if they've seen a dog who is supposed to be in the play and asking (presumably planted) audience members to help them repair the set. (One of my favorite bits is that "Trevor" replaces three missing floor boards … and eventually a completely different one does the stepped-on rake thing and smacks someone in the face.) The kids were entirely on board right from this. Things go wrong for the "actors" and "crew" basically immediately, as the title promises, in very slapstick-y ways that build and repeat, and then change instead of repeating just at the right time, but always escalate. It is absolutely not intellectual or sophisticated, but it sticks to its premise [*] and is a well-oiled machine. We happily put aside cynicism and laughed ourselves silly. [*] I genuinely felt bad for the "actors" while also appreciating the acting! There's one moment where "Chris Bean" is desperately and repeatedly calling for a prop. Someone in the audience eventually yelled where it is, and he breaks character as the detective and says (paraphrased), "You're not supposed to talk to me, I'm on stage! Stop laughing, everything is going terribly!" I did try to stop laughing, he was so upset! Of course, he then went on to say, "Be like this man in the front row, he hasn't laughed once in 45 minutes," so, you know. Anyway, other than one mildly homophobic joke, I've no complaints, and again, the kids loved it, which was the goal, after all. More information, no spoilers
Today we did a quick pass through the American Museum of Natural History, and then we came home! And now I need to go to bed, but if I didn't write this tonight I knew I wouldn't at all.
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If anyone wants a gift of a one-month paid subscription to the newsletter run by the Go Fug Yourself team, Drinks with Broads, comment here with an email address by Tuesday 9pm Eastern; I have three to give away and I'll do a random giveaway, you know the drill. (Comments are screened.)
Tumblr: katenepveu , where I retweet a lot of art, cute animals, and fandom stuff, and occasionally post.
Mastodon: https://federatedfandom.net/@katenepveu, where I just joined and am happy to follow people while I figure out what's up there.
Edit: and then Chad just gave me a Bluesky invite, so I'm there too, I guess? https://bsky.app/profile/katenepveu.bsky.social
I'm not deleting Twitter but I haven't been posting there.
I'm trying to read and comment here more regularly, which I think I say every X years or so (and mean it every time!).
Anyway, fwiw.
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More panel notes! I was planning to edit them only extremely lightly and then I fell victim to the desire to hyperlink.
Non-Narrative Fiction: Stories Without Stories
Sarah Pinsker, Kenneth Schneyer, Rich Horton (moderator)
Fiction in general has a long tradition of adding verisimilitude by including created documents, but speculative fiction has gone even further to tell stories entirely through footnotes, art gallery exhibit descriptions, FAQs, bibliographies, containment procedures, academic journal articles, technical instructions, posts on wiki talk pages, and more. What are the advantages and disadvantages of storyless storytelling? And how does it differ from epistolary fiction?
Sarah: "Where Oaken Hearts Do Gather", multi award wining last year, song and commentaries on song Ken: one of stories may be in panel description, art gallery descriptions Rich: did not include epistolary in description except as counterexample. very early way in English of writing novels, created documents. how does that differ formally or meaningfully from non-narrative things Ken: can we start by defining "narrative"? I think narrative, a voice that knows that a story there is to tell and is intending to tell that story, that includes unreliable narrators Sarah: everything I could think of still felt narrative, but ultimately maybe what talking, things in which story is forefronted: may have to look for traditional elements of story hidden in it, asking reader to do a little more work Ken: likes that too Rich: narrator narrates narrative; so these are things that don't know part of story, but narrative in my mind because still part of story. one other aspect: narrator is a personality, while examples here are technically not personalities themselves, just documents Rich: so going back to epistolary question: Sarah: don't think it does (Ken: me too), subcategory, figure out which is umbrella. in making my list, a lot of them were artifact stories of some sort, in epistolary, narrative is more overt Ken: Frankenstein is technically one long letter, but don't think of it in same context as First Impressions, draft of Pride and Prejudice Sarah: if first person narrator, always question of who story is being told to, implied audience; sometimes answered and sometimes meant to forget that part Rich: epistolary, narrator is a character; artifact stories, designed to plausibly simulate story that reader could find in the real world Ken: highlights artificiality of narrative, e.g., LotR narrative reminding constantly that time has passed since events. chaoticness of these stories, reader (something I didn't quite catch, maybe "has to put together like life"?) "Mars: A Traveler's Guide" by Ruth Nestvold (Goodreads), series of responses to queries to help system; don't even see queries, piece together what those are and why being asked, that's the story. negative space where story appears Rich: maybe that leads to reader having to construct real story for themselves. don't necessarily have any knowledge in flow of time in non-narrative stories. Mars: A Traveler's Guide do, responses sequential. art gallery descriptions, some indication because chronological catalog but still further separated. FAQ, no idea of time sequence. as writers who's done these, how difficult to make sure (or do you even try to) reader will be decode things like actual sequence? Sarah: looks like a puzzle to me and writes like one, moving things around on more axes than would in linear fiction. tend to try to make it so that a quick read will probably get some of it, second read will be rewarded. don't mind making readers work for it, sometimes people bounce off but if clues in right place. Lost, early on, had alternate reality game elements; WandaVision, in-show ads; give readers things that feel like within their reach to decode Ken: above involves what reader is doing in response to story, have committed self to position--Scalzi guest post three years ago--reading is interactive event in reader's mind, but most of the time readers think of selves as passive. so big advantage to him of non-narrative is that forces reader to be expressly aware of fact that making story, take responsibility for. (me: 253, order choose to click?) Sarah: Nicola Griffith described writing as running your software on the reader's hardware, in this case even more so. as reader, dopamine rush when figure it out is a pretty great thing, as writer strive to do that: have control over reader's brain, but also time travel Ken: but you don't have control Sarah: giving them the option Rich: almost all stuff talked about so far is short fiction. is harder to sustain at length? if so, why Sarah: comes to mind: House of Leaves; Several People Are Talking; S., conceived by JJ Abrahms and written by Doug Dorst, fake novel that is bulk of book, bulk of narrative is researchers talking to each other in margins, includes bunch of ephemera like napkins if buy. harder sell, even if can sustain interest for that long, publishers might be wary, plus may be more expensive (original House of Leaves, sideways, different colors etc) Ken: several novels where alternative documents play large role, Pohl's Gateway, interruptions by found documents throughout; Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell's footnotes; Brunner, Shockwave Rider, similar things interspersed. if right in attributing increased labor to reader, harder to sustain on novel level. but also, from own standpoint, run out of inventiveness; certain level of surprise that makes these non-narratives work, if art gallery thing was 10x, surprise would be long gone and sap energy out of Rich: could have whole panel on novels with lots of footnotes that are still conventional, JS&MN; something else missed. Pale Fire, hybrid, narrative section, long poem, whole series of footnotes. Ken: Always Coming Home Sarah: Fifth Head of Cerberus Sarah to Ken: when you approach something like this, do you get the hey-what-if-there-was first, or have an idea for story and only way can tell? Ken: former, definitely. "Levels of Observation," Mythic Delirium; just occurred to me, could you have story made of exam questions; didn't wind up being solely that, but for me always voice first. You? Sarah: usually some kind of puzzle, some idea that only way can see would work. what is this thing, what does it want to be; if could tell it linearly, probably would, but two things exist in concert Rich: no doubt that "Where Oaken Hearts" could not exist in any other way Sarah: two things: what would a murder ballad look like as a story, and how many layers could do; looking up Grateful Dead version of traditional song, people commenting on Genius who were just getting it wrong, saying acid trip but 400 years old Rich: kind of narrative that could find in different versions of folk-songs, how and why they changed Sarah: like to read notes on where different versions of Childe ballads came from, this version only ever sung one little old lady in Newfoundland, almost more interesting than songs selves sometimes Ken: re: puzzle: one of things have to be sanguine about, that gonna have readers who won't get it or assemble completely different story. among his beta readers, half said fantasy element was so heavy-handed, half said no fantasy element at all Rich: favorite examples? Ken: Gateway. "The Author of Acacia Seeds and Other Extracts from the Journal of Therolinguistics", Le Guin, still don't know quite what story is there, but rivets me Sarah: Le Guin does that to me a lot. "Walkdog," Samatar, essay by child with footnotes that get more and more pleading over story; Sarah Gailey, "STET"; Gordon B. White is creating Haunting Weird Horror; Carmen Maria Machado does it all the time, two examples, "Help Me Follow My Sister into the Land of the Dead", and novella of hypothetical SVU episodes. Rich: went looking for FAQ example: Dave Langford, comp.basilisk FAQ; Gordon Dickson, "Computers Don't Argue," series of letters trying to resolve late library book (Wikipedia) Sarah: Molly Gloss's story about Elvis and Jesse Presley's long and storied history as a duo Ken: Ken Liu's novella, The Man who Ended History, a Documentary, script format Sarah: give to students a lot of time as opening exercise for 400 level writing workshop, just so know can break rules a little bit, play game, what is you're looking at, why is this a story. start with Joyce Carol Oates, one-sentence stories. "why is this a story" is sometimes where the key lies Rich: another Samatar story, "An Account of the Land of Witches", keep building on refutations Sarah: Sofia and Carmen may be two who do it most and most reliably, so interested in how stories are told, maybe becomes a dare, how can this be a story, have I ever seen this before Ken: has several drafts in drawers where question is, can I construct story this way: maybe not yet Rich: Charlie Finley's first story, "Footnotes", just the footnotes, clever and really worthwhile q: Hand, Wylding Hall, other examples; cross-medium in some way, effort to translate to text something that's audiovisual or art piece, conveyed in different medium Sarah: has utter fascination with ekphrastic expression in general, is musician, tries to infuse music into fiction, is possible and part of same kind of puzzle, come back to again and again Ken: also when most writers have other thing that they do, like being musician, usually makes you conversant with certain way of expressing, so tendency to ask if can use what I know about other way of talking. inevitably wrote short story in form of appellate judicial opinion (me: not sure what this one is), form can write in sleep because was clerk, therefore can do things with it that other writer not as familiar with form couldn't. every writer has some other language they are conversant with, always possibility that that could be source of story q: talking about narrative voice versus found pieces, what about idea that someone has collected found pieces and put in particular order in piece of fiction, does that imply a narrator? Sarah: order is very important, would start with trying to decode that (me: I interpreted this question as, is there a narrator implied by the existence of a collection of found documents who isn't the author, but we were very close to the end here) Rich: Robert Coover, "Heart Suit" (published by McSweeney's); 13 cards, heart suit, shuffle and read them in order shuffled, all make coherent stories Sarah: friend who went to They Might Be Giants concert where performing all of Flood, but didn't perform in order, said really cool but wasn't Flood; been to a bunch of concerts like that, and don't play in order because order works for album isn't necessarily one that works for concert, maybe has a delicate ending or frontloads hits (me: I had Flood on cassette, so definitely thought of "side one" and "side two" as units). tricky thing is that need to have narrative flow and arc even if not necessarily sequential Rich: Choose Your Own Adventure; hypertext stories Ken: wrote one that has no narrative at all, series of individual nodes within mind of AI, piecing together and order didn't matter (this would appear to be "Neural Net," which was in Ideomancer and now is lost to time)notes!
I have read almost none of the things I've linked here, so I have much to look forward to!
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Another set of notes!
Ask a Necromancer
Licensed mortician Amanda Downum hosts this Q&A session about everything death—from the embalming process to modern funeral culture, to the details of decomposition writers are scared to Google.
This was so great.
Amanda writes column for The Deadlands magazine; started doing these talks because job is really cool, also because when I was a baby writer, had a lot of questions about dead bodies
q: top three things you see people getting wrong a: lot, it depends and it varies, but see a lot of textural description of corpses: isn't cold unless refrigerated, just room temp; dead unfridgerated flesh isn't actually waxy. TV has really hard time getting colors right, probably makeup artists aren't touring morgues on regular basis q: what was education & training like to get license? a: mortuary = associate's degree, had always assumed must be medical degree or family apprenticeship program; much easier and accessible, but many schools w/mortuary science don't advertise as such q: if working w/body that passed when about to have/is on menstrual cycle, anything happens there? a: not something that notice very often, hard to tell; dead bodies purge fluids, usually not convenient way to tell if menstrual cycle rather than just purging because of what's going on in internal flora q: where do you stand on embalming, questions about whether necessary? a: professionally am an embalmer (most states, dual license, embalmer or funeral director); love job, but not necessary. most states not legally required (be very suspicious if funeral home tells you), though if not, needs to be placed in refrigeration, which very important less for health than smell. some will require if want open casket. convenient if services might be delayed or deceased being transported: makes things easier if know not liquefying on route (will still decay eventually, just slows it down) q: could describe embalming process to some degree, and anything about history of process, how changed over time a: process: general gist, removing blood and other natural bodily fluids, and injecting formaldehyde solution. embalmers really like to have intact circulatory system, when system is interrupted they are very sad. American embalming tradition likes to have lots of Anubis decorations up, but largely dates back to Civil War when a lot of people dying far away from home, plus there were trains. Lincoln's son famously embalmed, happy with result. doesn't remember when switch to formaldehyde started. are better and less carcinogenic products out there, but formaldehyde is cheapest q: safety precautions a: PPE in prep room, ventilation system up to OSHA standards, periodic air quality tests. works for Big Funeral, largest corporate funeral home chain in world, mixed of course but do take safety seriously q: how do you address interrupted circulatory system (me) a: prayer. issue: often don't know how someone died unless autopsy performed. raise artery, start injecting, hope: just watch as fluid doesn't go anywhere or blood doesn't come out of veins. usually start with carotid artery as largest & most easily accessible, if that doesn't work, have to go around to more and more; if heart has been damaged, then go to every single limb. just trial and error until works q: how accurate is Fun Home musical/graphic novel a: cannot speak to that, don't remember well enough; usually gets question about Six Feet Under, which also did not watch q: how long is embalmed body dangerous to wildlife if get at it a: don't know, great question; most modern cemeteries require vaults and concrete grave liners (digging up corpses not as easy as portrayed on screen). does know rats will absolutely eat, take keeping rodents out very seriously, don't know what effect eating has on them. mosquitoes don't care, really think they would, or maybe they get drunk on formaldehyde q: how autopsy aids or impairs your process a: requires more work because Y incision, if complete also take out brain, all internal organs, then put into biohazard bag and tuck back into cavity. so does make easier to treat organs, gives access to all major arteries if not hacked to ribbons, but difficult because have to stitch all that back up so a lot of sewing involved, especially scalp, which is painstaking process you want to get right; also often performed because some sort of trauma, may be other complications, like putting back skull as jigsaw puzzle q: mentioned don't often know cause of death a: varies by jurisdiction, just moved to VA where get death certificate, not always before embalming but sometimes, more communication between funeral home and medical examiner q con't: is there a protocol where, if heard someone died falling down stairs at home, but you look at body and hm, that doesn't seem right a: medical examiner members come into workplace and look at body regularly, whereas in TX never happened q: so if going to kill someone do it in TX a: yes, I can tell you exactly what county because they do not want to pay for an autopsy. so answer is, yes, could receive custody of body and say this looks weird, don't see that happen very often q: process & economics; relative was a vegan & devoted environmentalist, chose human composting and bill was $20k a: human composting fairly new, legal in Oregon or Washington State, don't know process. much simpler version is green burial, no embalming, biodegradable shroud or wicker casket, graves usually shallower. probably the most natural and easiest way to handle if find cemetery that will let you do that q: does role involve lot of communication w/family loved ones, if so, what kind of questions concerns tend to come up a: b/c work for large corporate facility, when started before licensed, was "removal technician" & therefore frequently family's first point of contact, so have done communication; less now, more frequently staying in building. very strange surreal sort of experience. jokes that after working retail for long time, rude family member has a good reason to be; though frankly very rare, and once talk to, will usually calm down and realize that you are not person to take out on. usually questions are immediate logistics, where taking tonight, what's going to happen tonight. what families need most at that moment is very simple answers, has found q: how long does embalming process take a: it depends, know people who do in 45 minutes (always a little skeptical of that), 1 hour to multiple; generally 90 minutes for "normal" dead body q: going back to details of appearance that shows get wrong a: varies greatly, not one ready answer for. frequently few hours later, rigor will be setting in, mostly get blood pooling, liver mortis, purplish blue sort of bruising effect (not actually burst capillaries); but really depends, seen people already turning green in abdomen few hours after death, or people three days dead looked better than I did q: how many overdose deaths in Northern VA? a: can't answer accurately, see some, in TX as well; are times when doesn't know, hear people speculating q: what about when body laying around several days? a: complain about it. only on one, very memorable, house call; also lot from medical examiner in TX, indigent community, would sit at medical examiner until identification; not fun, does not smell good at all; may not be able to be embalmed q: why don't wooden coffins decompose quickly (re: green burial using baskets instead) a: Jewish families, very simple literal pine box, no metal anything, will disintegrate pretty quickly, though depends on moisture in soil etc.; whereas wicker baskets not designed to keep dirt, air, bugs out q: what is strangest or more most memorable cause of death a: where I kill the mood at a party: fallen off back of motorcycle on busy highway, hit by at least two cars. took a very long time. generally a lot of stitching faces up with dental floss after motorcycle accidents. very passionate about motorcycle safety. q: any exciting advancements in mortuary science? conventions? a: yes, but started school in 2019, working in field in 2020 (timeliest thing ever done in life), all conventions stopped. ICCFA is a funeral con, get email from that and ICFA. big things happening: alkaline hydrolysis, a.k.a. liquid cremation, being slowly legalized; human composting (seems like a lot of work when going to decompose anyway, but everyone should die their best death) q: what extent modify embalming process re cultural or religious reasons a: generally all or nothing. if no embalming, will bathe body, make look peaceful before family comes in q: any shows, movies got it right, or interesting stylistically that definitely wrong but on purpose a: The Last of Us, patient zero, reacted "oh that didn't look bad". never watched big things like Walking Dead so don't know how they handled. actors who are aged with prosthetics, get things layered on but when aging naturally tends to shrink in. favorite thing, watching crime shows & seeing what kind of body bags using: those are good ones, those leak q: how has work affected your relationship with mortality a: honestly don't know that it has, many ways very easy career transition for me because don't come from family with lot of religious or funeral practices, don't know what happens when I die and don't have strong opinions, don't care about your opinions either. however pandemic definitely gave some moments of wow this is horrible, but more about why are we the living letting this happen to people; also opinions about elder care and conditions in which people die q: mentioned gut flora, parts of body still alive even after death; specific methods of dealing with; new life grows on? a: even embalmed bodies will mold eventually depending on environmental factors; one of people who trained, traveling mortician, during COVID would go to other cities, came back from LA which had warehouses not refrigerated trucks, had to deal with mold and decomposition; where now, do a lot burials at Arlington National Cemetery, very long wait list, then into special Arlington cooler after ceremony, now we need to clean some mold before burial. other than that, trying to neutralize little pathogens that make job more complicated, one that causes very quick decomposition and not neutralized by formaldehyde. q: what is job split with funeral director? (me) a: historically, back when "undertaker" used more frequently, was full service: pick up body, embalm, arrange services. now, people who don't want to deal with dead bodies can be funeral directors only talk to families, arrange services, do event planning basically. means she does do hair and makeup if open casket (sometimes will try to have professionals come in, for some reason don't ever retain them). very different if small family owned, people will do everything much more likely q: does mortuary have makeup that you use, or do you pull makeup that you use a: very specific brands of mortuary makeup, had article in Deadlands about this recently; changes texture of skin, dehydratesnotes about dead bodies
And then we were out of time.
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Panel notes the first, from Thursday night. I did not live-blog because Twitter doesn't deserve it, so these are notes taken on a boring old text file on my little laptop and now cleaned up a bit. I have several more that I'm going to try and post before I leave the con, because if I don't, I know from sad experience that they will never get posted, ever.
Not Another Space Jesus! The Self-Sacrifice Trope in SFF
N. S. Dolkart, Catt Kingsgrave, Yves Meynard, Graham Sleight (moderator)
Science fiction and fantasy are riddled with characters sacrificing themselves for the good of the many, be they the main protagonists whose self-sacrificial plans may or may not pan out, or some helpful side character who swoops in at the last minute to Save Us All with an act of suicidal bravery. Why is this trope so popular and what do we get out of it? Is a blood sacrifice really needed to redeem our fantasy worlds? Redeem them of what?
Graham thinks was on very last panel at Readercon in 2019. this is first programming block of next in-person con so: "as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted." very glad to be back. asks panelists to introduce, mention one work embodies trope Catt: calls self "a writer of staggering obscurity"; first work comes to mind is rather subtle outlier on this trope, Lord of the Rings: Frodo's sacrifice is of spirit, soul Noah (N. S.): programming co-chair, writer under other name. Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking, had side character bravely sacrifice self for good of many, had gone so far in loving this book and "sigh, okay, I'll take it" Yves: writing since 1986. something Norman Spinrad railed about in 1980s, Walter Jon Williams' Hardwired, whole book aimed at making protagonist sacrifice self & know that has to do it; then side-character comes in to keep protagonist from having to do it, feels wrong Graham: (referred to some other work that I didn't hear). particularly interested in sacrifice of spirit, or losing limbs as general trope; other examples? Catt: disclaimer: this is my opinion, fight me in hall about it: end of Captain America's arc in MCU: gave up always standing up, in favor of sitting down (me: is it a sacrifice? feels like a "reward") Graham: description has point about lives being cheap, too easy Yves: we've already got too much "the world is at stake," substance of melodrama, easy to jerk tears by upping stakes beyond what should be reasonable Noah: maddening that kind of overstates power of self-sacrifice, people are doing that every day for all kinds of purposes, too often in literature see one character do it, implication is that all it takes is one person in the right place and that WILL redeem the many Catt: that's why we call it fantasy. no really, fantasy of death meaning something. Noah: deaths can mean something, doesn't have to mean everything. title: theological aspect, only one special person in right circumstance, rather than just moving ball down field Graham: the story of Jesus is replicated in ways across various cultures, is it not the toxic damaging etc etc of Joseph Campbell's monomyth, that grotesque oversimplification Yves: was raised Catholic, not believer but cannot deny steeped in culture, would it feel same if were Jewish, not well placed to answer that Noah: I might be! is Jewish: in their martyr-ology, people stand up, are killed for it, that's the end of the story. celebrate willingness to put whole lives on line, celebrate for accomplishments, but death isn't why we're celebrating, rather say, if only still had them. death sometimes inspirational, mostly loss Catt: through-line in paganism, concept of blood sacrifice as cyclical payment, no end of cycle, buys grace for a while Graham: very different vein: diary of Chips Channon, interwar British politician, recalls death of Edward 7th, notes curious medieval brutality of "king is dead, long lives the king" Yves: one of terrifically brutal things about that phrase, real dig at idea of divine immortality of kingship Graham: going back to cycle re: Catt: a certain amount of the time, the sacrifice doesn't die, only appears to (Gandalf); is that more effective, more mythic; access in own writing or stay away from? Yves: in Crysanthe, his 2012 novel, sorceress carries knowledge of ultimate spell that is supposed to destroy world, uses at end of book in belief that will not; she is annihilated and reborn, which wasn't expecting, feels both that she cannot be original but can be no-one else because remembers every detail of life. changes world in way that makes more complicated and scarier in some ways, doesn't die for good of world, fucks it up because she's terrified but only alternative to giving up and destruction of world/people she cares about (ends book right after rebirth) Catt: when I write about death, I need to take it seriously, "if I'm going to kill somebody, I'm going to hurt as many readers as I possibly can," so pulling rug out from under death only going to do if red-herring murder mystery (hasn't yet) Noah: certainly deaths are final in my work, exactly one character written who's sacrificed self in way at end of books, interesting because is character who, as with so many self-sacrificing characters, not everyone's favorite hero, flawed character, but has accomplished a lot regardless of intention. expects to be squashed at any minute by a god, given opportunity to dedicate death to something. there is notion in fantasy of power in sacrifice, may go beyond what could accomplish on own, but in this example, it's an opportunity: you've been a bad person, you want to redeem yourself in your last moments? go ahead Graham: Thomas Pynchon: in introduction to Slow Learner, collection of his own early stories, said don't like way characters in here dodge around death: when we talk about seriousness in fiction, what we ultimately mean is how approach death. Pynchon's presumption that death is final and non-get-round-able, which doesn't always work in SFF. does that mean SFF is non-serious? Catt: by that very specific metric, sure; but think lot of metrics could apply that would find great advancement over more "serious" literature Noah: don't know how feel about exactly, SFF more so than most genres has a fascination with the metaphysical, religions, mythologizing the world; to say outright that that mythological view of death is "unserious" is some ways disrespecting a whole array of belief systems; at same time, a lot of SFF is very appropriative of such systems, not as though hands clean here Yves: think of one case where can really say, not being serious about death: movies, especially superhero movies: main characters cannot die (me: thought was going to talk about endless CGI hordes that are just there to be killable bodies) Noah: jumps out when put side character in grave peril because writers know audience don't know whether that character will live or die; example of Abe Sapiens in first Hellboy movie Catt: side character has no plot armor. do you consider the mentor to be a secondary character, because the mentor always dies Graham: can't remember whose metaphor, "mentor is basically the rubbish PhD supervisor," gives advice only when not useful and shoves off when time to do work Graham: for better or worse, father-child thing (I don't remember if this was a continuation of the mentor thing or if it was a separate thought now) Noah: requests Graham's rant about modernism that said wasn't going to give Graham: just dislike structural devices that flatten out differences between works, cultural specificity Noah: not just particular monomyth, idea that there could be one Catt: question: ideas on alternatives to heroes' sacrifice that carry equivalent weight, can pin entire third act on; what matters as much? Noah: a lot of things matter besides death Catt: yes, for you, which do you choose Noah: like happy endings, grown and accomplished and mean to accomplish more as time goes on; could go either way on zero self-sacrifice, or way more, to make clear that not about single act of redemption, demythologizing it Yves: don't just have to kill yourself, you have to kill your whole family (note: I have no idea what this means now). French book, title could not catch: protagonist is 17 year old son of Margrave, father dies early on & gets embroiled with society of witches live on moon. doesn't sacrifice self, but events get really intense, in end gets married to Emperor's daughter who doesn't know as political marriage, which sees as kind of sacrifice Graham: Locked Tomb series: don't want to spoil more than have to, but is self-sacrifice that is really thoroughly and interestingly subverted, recommend particularly to Readercon audience; is borderline attack on Book of the New Sun (which is another reason to bump this up my list, besides that Austin Walker is on a podcast rereading it) Noah: Gideon the Ninth is great example of kind of thing talking about, multiple self-sacrifices, each one is getting the goal closer, doesn't just take one; but also subverts Graham: so do the thing, but subvert it, mess around with it after Noah: replace it with? one hand, great question, other, not always convinced needs to be replaced, used in places where wasn't necessary; Wizard's Guide, very cool climax, main character putting all on line and so on, one need not have said, that's not going be enough; could have just said, great job, your main character did all the things, or got additional help and it works (me: this is maybe my dislike of one of the Murderbot novellas, unfortunately saying which is a spoiler) Greer Gilman from audience: where you have seen a cynical deployment of sacrifice by author or in world of book; thinking of Beyond the Fringe skit on WWII: we need a futile gesture at this point to raise the whole tone of the war Noah: you mean, demand that someone else self-sacrifice as cynical gesture? Catt: Nimona Graham: going to answer by giving exact opposite, really struck in Last Jedi by way "minor" characters sacrifice self in contexts where can't know right outcome, anyone can do something uncyncially and can really matter; almost kind of purity to bomber pilot in very first sequence (me: anyone can wear the mask?) Yves: Pratchett's got to have something like that (cynical version) Noah: just going to classic literature, Cyrano thrown at front with entire company out of spite, David getting Bathsheba's husband killed off Graham: cynical, Kubrick's Paths of Glory Catt: the Enigma Machine, very similar structurally (I think this is probably called just Enigma?) audience: noticing that conversation seemed to use self-sacrifice interchangeably with death, often; what about choosing to remain alive; or, Lord of Rings, lots of people had things would rather do than fight Sauron; real-world, choose to work very unpleasant jobs Catt: would like to see more of that, don't think same thing which is why prefer Noah: one of interesting things, when see characters sacrifice parts of selves, rarely done with same kind of intentionality as death (LotR is very intentional about it re: Frodo) (me during panel: WHAT am I thinking about, real sacrifice is to live, resigns self to long life alone doing the job? me after panel talking to people: and then someone pops up and is like, surprise, you're not alone after all! me writing this up after asking various people: yes, I was probably thinking of The Homeward Bounders during the panel and immediately got confused about the happy ending it doesn't have) Yves: hard to sustain reader interest in "I shall bravely wash dishes my whole life" Noah: now wants that story Graham: related to Le Guin's point, SF tends to devalue "ordinary" life audience: first things thought of, Stranger in Strange Land; Dune, first two books, which subvert; Rush-That-Speaks, Crowley's Engine Summer; do you think modern writers are doing something different with trope? Noah: my short answer will always be, new writers are doing the same things and different things, though may not see it in what gets published Catt: can't underestimate power of trend; trap but writers gotta eat audience: in original panel description, haven't talked about question of trope being used as attempt to redeem something by the author, and if so, what is it? Yves: in my case, when have character do this, redeeming selves Noah: a lot of that in disaster movies, skeptic who's not friends with main character Catt: see in written examples far more, amounts to really: grace. trying to illustrate, I can make this part break, I'm the right person in the right place time with skills, I'm not walking away. what trying to reach for but rarely makes it through Graham: description uses words save and redeem interchangeably, but redeem has a moral weight (me: now I'm trying to remember if I worked on this description...) Noah: usually seeing character redeem self and save other characters audience: talk about opposite, if person sacrifices self is Jesus, what makes the anti-Christ? Thanos? Catt: he sacrificed his victory, if hadn't killed Gamora, might have won Noah: thinks is one of things that makes villains villainous, viewing other people as belonging to them, to point that can sacrifice other people and view as their own sacrifice Catt: wrote whole story with this premise (unfortunately I do not know what) audience: Dune, have messiah complicated over millennia, is that same as Space Jesus or is there a timeliness? (I am not sure I heard this question properly) Yves: striking, people misunderstood that Paul's victory was not a good thing, which remains timely in this age where people apparently want religious or political messiahthe panel notes
And then we ran out of time. It was fun and I enjoyed it and, as so many things do, it made me increasingly desperate for Alecto the Ninth.
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Friday, July 14, 2023
4:00 PM
Dracula Daily: the Unexpected Hit Newsletter of 2022
Salon B, Duration: 60 mins
Gwynne Garfinkle, Emma J. Gibbon, Kate Nepveu (moderator)
Dracula Daily is a pandemic-born email newsletter that sends out the text of Dracula in real time from May to November. On its second run in 2022, it went viral across multiple social media networks; a forthcoming book includes not only the chronologically-ordered text, but also memes, text responses, and art from hundreds of fans. Panelists will discuss the transformative experience of reading Dracula in real time; the differences in reading along in 2021, 2022, and today; and how other classic literature email newsletters compare.
Friday, July 14, 2023
5:00 PM
Back to the Sequel: The Origins of Sequels, Spin-Offs, and Derivative and Transformative Works
Salon 3, Duration: 60 mins
Shweta Adhyam, Kate Nepveu (moderator), Sonja Ryst, Allen Steele (updated)
On Twitter in 2021, in response to a question by Charlie Jane Anders, Jess Nevins discussed the first spinoffs and sequels to novels, in both Europe and China. D Franklin further noted that throughout much of history, the concepts underlying modern understandings of spinoffs and fanfic did not exist. Panelists will delve into these histories and what they say about ideas of authorship, the reasons behind continuations and adaptations of stories, and how both vary across the globe.
Saturday, July 15, 2023
10:00 AM
Queer Identities as Genres
Salon 3, Duration: 60 mins
Kate Nepveu (moderator), Justina Ireland, Tom Greene, Benjamin Rosenbaum, Foz Meadows (the online panelist list is out of date)
Genre labels can help audiences find the kind of work they're looking for, set reader expectations going into a work, and situate a work in conversation with other works. People vary widely in how they define genres, how strongly they feel about their definitions, and how important they consider the existence of definitions in the first place. Similar things might be said about gender. How can our understandings of genre illuminate our understandings of gender, and vice versa?
Sunday, July 16, 2023
10:00 AM
The Works of Justina Ireland
Salon A, Duration: 60 mins
N. S. Dolkart (moderator), Cecelia Gray, Eileen Gunn, Kate Nepveu
Justina Ireland is the New York Times bestselling author of numerous books, including Dread Nation, Deathless Divide, and the Scott O'Dell Award winning middle-grade, Ophie's Ghosts. She is co-author of She is also the author of numerous Star Wars books and one of the story architects of Star Wars: The High Republic. Her most recent solo book, Rust in the Root, is now available, as is Chaos & Flame, a novel co-authored with Tessa Gratton. Please join us in welcoming her to Readercon and exploring her fiction.
2:00 PM
Serial Fiction: Everything Old Is New Again
Salon 3, Duration: 60 mins
Katherine Crighton, Kate Nepveu (moderator), Sarah Smith
Present-day serialized fiction can be found as webnovels in China and on English-language sites like Royal Road; on platforms like Patreon, WattPad, and Inkitt; and as sequential art designed for mobile apps like Webtoon—among many others. Meanwhile, classic fiction is finding new readers through email newsletters like Dracula Daily. What opportunities does the serialized format offer authors and readers? And how has the proliferation of platforms affected authors, readers, and their communities?
Here's the full program. If you have thoughts, please share them!
+1 (thumbs-up, I see you, etc.)?
timeasmymeasure
